One Piece - Legends
by xAlreadyOverx
Summary: Luffyko wants to be Queen of the Pirates because Shanks said she couldn't be a King. With the Gum-Gum fruit and an inability to swim she will need to rely on her crew and First Mate to make it through the Grand Line. But what happens when she starts getting odd feelings around her swordsman that she's never had before? READ DISCLAIMER!
1. I'm Gonna Be Queen of the Pirates

**PLEASE READ!**

I'm posting this because a friend said that I really should. This is **not** **my story**. I have changed and added parts from various other One Piece Fem!Luffy and regular Luffy stories to create a full one that I could enjoy on my kindle or other reading devices. I will give full credit to every author I have borrowed from and if they ask me to remove the story I shall.

I plan to post 1 chapter a day until I have reached the part where I am still editing and adding. Then I shall try to post on a regular basis but I make no promises.

I recommend these fanfiction authors to everyone reading this because they started this whole thing first and I have only added to it. You guys are my inspiration for my own stories!

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you)

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

Without further ado, a FemLuffy x Zoro story written and edited by many One Piece fans!

* * *

I'm Gonna be Queen of the Pirates

The sea, the sea calling out to you and me, waves rush in to caress the sand only to roll out again. The sea, the sea, and calmness in its water but in one fowl swoop the calm has turned sour. The sea, the sea, breezes clear as day, salty air meets our lips, longer, will we stay? The sea, the sea: soft sand beneath our feet, breeze cooling our hot hands, one look at your eyes and I know. The sea, the sea: our ally and friend, the seascape drawing us in, in triumph, two sweethearts together creating Minstrels in the sand….by Lillian B. Rose.

* * *

_Once upon time, there is was a great Pirate King who went by the name of Gol D. Roger. The public took to calling him Gold Roger because he was the fiercest, and most respected Pirate that ever sailed the sea. He had conquered the world and obtained the greatest treasure of all…the One Piece._

_But alas his fame and infamy was short lived. The Marines captured the elusive Pirate King after a long struggle and prepared to execute him, but before he died his final words drove countless souls to the sea._

_"You want my treasure, you can have it! I left it all together in one place…the One Piece! Now you just have to find it."_

_Now every Pirate from around the world is traveling through the Grand Line in hope of finding the Pirate King's treasure. The world has entered the Great Pirate Era._

* * *

The sun is high in the sky, shining brightly on calm blue seas and flocks of Seagulls happily soaring through the sky. A giant whirlpool swirls below them, bringing only certain death to any ship unlucky enough to sail near it.

Two sailors watch the whirlpool with mild interest and fear on a cruise ship when all of sudden they hear a loud sound coming from below. One glances down to see a large barrel floating calmly in the sea, banging lightly against the ship. He wondered briefly where the barrel came from but soon dismissed that thought and gestured for his partner to help him lift it out of the sea. It was heavy and large for a barrel so both assumed that it had to contain large amounts of Sake

* * *

Inside the dance hall of the cruise ship, passengers mingled, conversed, and dined on the most expensive culinary food and fine champagne available.

A ship Admiral talks to his guests about how he was forced to take his position as the Admiral of a fleet of ships, rather than just one. Meanwhile, a tangerine haired girl with cinnamon brown eyes watches the ocean in dream-like state until someone taps her shoulder. She turns her head away from the calm scene to see a fine looking gentleman holding out his right hand to her.

"I'm sorry if I have disturbed you madam, but I couldn't help but to be overwhelmed by your beauty. May I ask for a dance," he inclined his head slightly and the girl nodded, smiling slightly.

* * *

The Sailors were still trying to catch the barrel by using fishing hooks, but were failing miserably. Another Sailor on look-out watched them and laughed at his friends failures when something caught his eye. A ship appeared from behind a small island they were passing but what the Sailor saw had him quivering in fear. The symbol flown on the Jolly Roger flag was a skull painted from the side with pink heart on its eye, the symbol for the Alvida Pirates.

"PIRATES! THE ALVIDA PIRATES! GO WARN THE CAPTAIN!" the Sailor yelled in panic. The two below heard the scream and lowered the recently retrieved barrel to the deck before they begin to run towards the ballroom, yelling warnings as they go, leaving behind a barrel.

The Pirate ship starts to fire its canon at the cruise liner but misses by a mile, causing the ship to shake and the barrel to fall and roll. Inside the ballroom people began to scream because of the sudden explosions as the two Sailors burst in.

"Captain! We're under attack by the Alvida Pirates!"

"WHAT?!" but before Admiral could say anything to calm his guests another explosion hit near the ship causing the people to panic. Guests swarmed towards the exits, running around like chickens with their heads cut off except for one tangerine hair girl who got left behind by a cowardly man. She smiles as if she had been expecting the attack. The barrel the sailors had left on deck continued to roll till it reached the kitchen where it finally stopped.

* * *

On the Pirate's deck, a group of mean looking men stared over at the cruise ship, all sporting evil grins of malice except for one small, chubby-looking boy with pink hair and round framed glasses. The timid boy is shaking like a leaf as he watches the other Pirates fire cannon balls at the cruise ship by the order of Captain Alvida.

"COBY! who is the most beautiful woman of all the sea?" Captain Alvida asked to the pink hair boy. The poor boy stuttered, trying to find something to say, because she was NOT the most beautiful woman; in fact, she was the most hideous, nastiest, bad-tempered, violent and fattest woman of all the sea. She had long, black, wavy flowing hair with freckles on her cheeks and she wore a pink shirt with lined designs, a red neckerchief under it and a blue captain's coat over it with the arms in the sleeves unlike many other pirates. Around her waist sat a purple sash with a flintlock pistol tucked in it and some jewels along with red painted fingernails. She sported red lipstick and a white cowboy hat with a red plumage and a light-green band around it, grayish pants and to top it all off red, long pointed shoes with buckles on them.

"Oh…uh…y-y-you are C-Captain Alv-v-vida ma'am" Coby replied with a nervous smile as he hoped won't get hit by Alvida's steel mace, that was her trademark weapon. Alvida smirked, obviously pleased with his answer and then ordered her men to keep firing and get ready to raid the ship.

After firing a couple more cannon balls at the ship, the Pirates hooked themselves to the ship using sharp looking fishing hooks and stormed the deck while the Sailors could do nothing but cower in fear. Speaking of fear, Coby still stood on Alvida's ship holding a rope that would swing him right towards the ship but he waited; too afraid to move.

"Coby, get going! I don't got all day," Alvida hissed, feeling her anger rise at the fact that the stupid brat was still not moving from his spot. She clenched the knuckles holding her mace, ready to bash the boy in the head if he didn't move soon but Coby was too afraid to notice it.

"I c-c-can't Capt-t-t-ain, I'm n-n-not cut out f-for this," he stuttered back at Alvida which made her blood boil like lava.

"What did you say, you worthless piece of SHIT?!" and then she lifted Coby off the deck and threw him to the other ship. Coby shrieked in surprise and terror as he flew and when he landed his face came into contact with a metal wall and slid slowly down causing it to screech. He groaned in pain feeling his face burn and a possible broken nose and rolled himself over, laying on his back on the floor waiting for the pain to cease. Then all of a sudden everything got dark.

'Wait a minute, its nighttime already?' when he looked up in confusion he saw the sun get blocked by something big and round and heading right for him. Upon closer inspection the big and round thing turned out to be a very ill-tempered Alvida with mace ready to pound the boy into submission. Coby let out a very unmanly scream and ran as fast as he could away from that menacing woman.

* * *

At the ballroom.

"Don't worry we're not gonna kill ya, we just want your valuables jewels for ourselves" one of the Pirates said.

"And if anyone tries to do anything 'heroic' I'll whack you all the way to the Grand Line with my mace and let the ocean dwellers feast on your flesh," said Alvida appearing behind her crew The guests quickly did what she said and gave the pirates everything they had on them before fleeing the room, heading towards the escape crafts. As the ballroom cleared only one girl remained. She had stayed behind and quickly changed her outfit before running to Alvida's ship to steal her treasure.

Once she landed quietly on the ship, she quickly began searching for a hatch that led to where they hid their treasure. Suddenly a man came out from Crew's Quarter spotting the girl.

"Huh, who the hell are you…are you a new crew member?" the man asked stupidly, the girl smiled at him and kicked him straight in the crotch.

* * *

Meanwhile, Coby was left all alone, wandering around the ship till he stumbled across the kitchen. He sighed in relief when he noticed that no Alvida Pirates had made there way here when he spotted the biggest barrel he had ever seen.

He inspected the barrel up close and thought of an idea. This barrel was big which meant there was probably a lot of Sake and Pirates loved Sake; if he traded this barrel of Sake for his freedom surely Alvida wouldn't refuse such an offer.

With his mind made up, he pushed the barrel on its side and started to roll it so he could take it to Alvida, unluckily for him three large Pirates took that moment to enter the kitchen and quickly spotted Coby.

"There you are, Cabin boy. You thought you could escape from us again, eh Coby?" the largest Pirate said.

"W-what? Oh n-n-no, I was just uh…" he tried to come up with good excuse when a skinny looking Pirate spoke.

"What is in that barrel, Coby?"

'Shit'

"I bet its filled with Sake. Perfect, I could use a refreshment" said the large Pirate.

"NO, YOU CAN'T! CAPTAIN ALVIDA WILL BE MAD IF SHE FINDS YOU GUYS DRINKING," Coby tried to reason with the Pirates before they took away his chance of freedom.

"If you keep your mouth shut, she won't know. Got it?" said the third fat Pirate, giving him the look that said 'say one word to her and I'll slit your throat'.

"Y-y-yeah, sure n-no problem," Coby stuttered, watching his chance of escape slip away.; the large Pirate cracked his knuckles to loosen up.

"Stand back fellas, let me open the barrel the old fashion way" he raised his large fist to break the barrel open but before his fist could come in contact with the wooden barrel something unexpected happened.

"I SLEPT GRRRREEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTT!" The lid of the barrel shattered as a girl burst from inside of it, her raised fist striking the large Pirate right on the chin. The girl looked no older than seventeen years old and had short length black silk hair and large black eyes with hint of brown. She wore a red button-up vest, short blue shorts and slip-on sandals. The attire appeared quite unusual for a girl to be wearing and a straw hat on her head and small scar under her left eye completed the strange ensemble.

After she stretched her sore back, she noted two men and one boy staring at her with shock written on their face. One of the pirate's looks drifted down and she followed the gaze to see a knocked out man lying on the floor.

"Who's this guy?" she asked, blinking down at him curiously.

"Who the hell are you!" two men yelled in unison but the girl looked unaffected by their outburst.

"He'll catch cold if he sleeps like that."

"You're the one who knocked him out!" they screamed before pulling out their swords.

"Wait a minute, are you playing with us? We're viscous pirates, you know!" said the fat man.

"I'm starving, do you know where the food is?" the small girl ignored the two pirates and turned to ask the pink haired boy standing off to the side.

"HEY, YOU STUPID BITCH, DON'T YOU DARE IGNORE US!" as soon as the man yelled at the girl, both he and his partner lifted their swords up into the air, ready to slice the insolent girl. Coby screamed in fright and covered his eyes, unable to watch the outcome but the girl stood, unfazed by their actions. As the swords arched down, suddenly the tips of both swords broke off and spun up into the ceiling. The men took two steps back, bodies shaking with fear and disbelief at what they had just witnessed and Coby, who uncovered his eyes, couldn't help but to gape in awe at the girl.

"You guys are really weird," she said in bored tone.

"W-what in the seven hells are you?"

"Oh, me? I'm Monkey D. Luffyko but you can call me Luffy," After she said her name the two pirates turned and fled in terror, dragging their unconscious crew mate between them. As they climbed out from the hatch they halted when they saw a very pissed looking Alvida.

"What were you doing down there?" she asked in a slow and low tone that almost sound like hissing, her mace held in a vice grip.

"C-C-Captain, it's not what you think," said the skinny Pirate.

"ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR?!" she roared like an animal in carnage and swung her mace to kill them. The two Pirates shrieked and dodged Alvida's mace but unfortunately their crew mate got caught by her attack and she sent him flying to God knows where. The two remaining watched their crew mate fly away when Alvida lifted them up and got ready to pound the living daylight out of them.

"W-wait Captain, t-there's an int-t-truder in the ship," stuttered the skinny man.

"…an intruder!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Coby had dragged Luffy into the storage room so that Luffy could chow down on the tasty apples she had found. Coby tried to convince the girl to leave this place but she refused because she was hungry and wanted to eat. He thought that she was insane, but was still surprised that this beautiful girl was able to slice the two swords in half like butter. Even though he didn't see her do it he could tell she was strong so he watched her eat and decided to try and talk to her.

"So your name is Luffy, right? I'm Coby. That was pretty cool what you did out there."

"These apples are amazing."

"So how come you were in that barrel anyway?" he asked, wondering what Luffy was doing in there.

"I was sailing when my ship got caught in a whirlpool," she said as if it was that simple.

"WHAT?!~ h-h-how did you manage to survive that?"

"Nah, it was nothing. Besides, it was kinda fun." Coby stared at the girl in bewilderment as if she had suddenly grown another head. This Luffy girl had somehow endured the harsh swirl of death and lived to tell the tale ...then his thoughts was soon cut short when he heard the girl speak.

"Say, where I am anyway? Is this a marine ship or a Pirate ship?"

"Oh, you're on a cruise ship but it was overrun by Captain Alvida and her crew," Coby replied.

"So are you a Sailor or Marine?" Luffy asked and Coby replied, shaking his head 'no'.

"Neither. I'm Captain Alvida's Cabin boy. I was forced to become a Pirate, I was going fishing like I usually do when Alvida and her men seized the boat and took me with them. I thought they were going to kill me but they found out that I'm good Navigator so they let me live as long as I help them with navigation. I've been their Cabin boy for two years." Coby explained to Luffy about his past event as he slouched down next to her. Luffy stared back at him for a moment before bluntly saying.

"Sheesh, you're an idiot, you know that."

"Gee, thanks for your honesty," he said sarcastically.

"Not only that, you're scaredy-cat too! I hate people like you." Then she grinned and Coby could do nothing but sigh. He had never felt more humiliated in his entire life and it was in front of a girl no less.

"Yeah, you're right. I am nothing but a coward, if I could I would've taken one of their boats and escaped but I'm too afraid to do so… by the way, what made you sail the sea, Luffy?"

"Well…I'm going to be the first ever Queen of the Pirates," she said with big grin. To say Coby was shocked would be the understatement of the day. Queen of the Pirates? That had to be the wackiest thing he had ever heard, this girl was out of her mind.

"Q-q-queen of the P-pirates then that m-m-mean…you're a…Pirate!"

"That's right!"

"NO WAY! The only way you can be Queen is to find the most valuable, the most elusive, the biggest treasure that every Pirate in all the seas are looking for, the ONE PIECE."

"Yep, you got it."

"No, you're crazy! There is no way you can find it, you will die if you step one foot on the Grand Line, it's dangerous, risky, and unsafe and OW…why did you hit me?"

"Because I felt like it," the look on her face was blank but you could tell she was annoyed by Coby's ranting.

"Oh well, I'm used to being hit on head too many times," Coby said slowly massaging his head. Luffy looked away with a sigh before taking off her hat and staring at it fondly. The sight made Coby blush, although he didn't know why.

'Wow~ she looks really pretty when she smiles. AH, what are you thinking? You barely know her.'

"It's not matter if I can…its because I want to. I promised a friend long ago that I would become Queen of the Pirates and if I die trying then I wouldn't mind that." Coby was in awe of the girl's amazing determination and lack of fear at the possibility of death…he never thought of that, she was…an amazing, one-of-kind girl. After one last fond smile, Luffy placed her precious straw hat back on her head.

"Now that I'm full I better get going and set sail."

"Luffy…do you think...do you think I can do it too?"

"Hm? Do what?"

"Do you think I can be a Marine?"

"Marine?"

"Yes, all my life I always wanted to become a Marine, catching bad guys and bringing justice to the guilty has always been my dream. Do you think I can do it?"

"I wouldn't know." Luffy replied honestly.

"Alright I'll do it! I will not spend my life as a Cabin Boy. I will join the Marines and arrest big ass Alvida and put her behind bars," he said with new found confidence that he never thought he would have and it was all possible because of Luffy. Sadly his new found confidence was short lived when suddenly the ceiling collapsed on top of them. Luckily, Luffy managed to drag Coby out of the way in time when a booming voice suddenly sounded through the small room.

"Whose ass are you going to arrest, Coby?" That familiar voice was none other than the fearsome Captain Alvida.

"Did you think you could escape from me?" then she looked at Luffy with a mocking smirk on her face.

"So you're the one that my crew was talking about? Heh, you don't look so tough, I guess you're not the famous Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro." Luffy was confused by the name Alvida threw out, Zoro, but she soon snapped out of it when Alvida asked the same question to Coby that she always asked.

"COBY?! who is the most beautiful woman in all the seas?" she flipped her hair over her shoulder to try and appear more attractive.

"EH EH EH EH of of course you…"

"Hey Coby, who is this ugly lady?"

"!"

"!" everyone was shocked to hear the little, skinny girl dare to say those dreaded words so boldly to their fearsome Captain and she didn't seem to realize what she had done.

"That kid…"

"I can't believe she said that," Alvida's crew members were whispering at each other on top of the main deck watching the scene play out below.

"What…DID YOU SAY?!" That was the final straw as Alvida saw red and began to swing her mace in an attempt to kill the girl. Luffy was too quick for Alvida though and she ducked out of the way before running over to Coby and grabbing his wrist before dragging him up through the hole in the ceiling that Alvida had made.

On the deck every Pirate drew their sword and charged at Luffy with a roar, but no matter how many times they tried to slice her she moved. She was so fast, almost as if she wasn't there, and when a Pirates tried to sneak up behind her, she would dodge and hit him square on his face with a tight fist.

After less than a minute of fighting she had taken down all of the pirates that had been crowded around the hole. She smiled at her accomplishment and spun in a quick circle before noticing that more pirates were running towards her. With a surprised squeak she turned and began to run from them.

"AAHHH~ why are they ganging up on me?" Luffy had enough of this so she turned around to face the coming mob of dirty Pirates and positioned herself in a fighting stance.

"Gum-Gum Gatling Gun!" She threw the first punch, striking the pirate closest to her and then her arms were everywhere. They seemed to stretch, hitting enemies far outside of her reach and striking 5, then 10, then 20 enemies almost all at once. The pirates had been unprepared for the almost supernatural attack and were quickly pushed back and over the side of the ship. Alvida had climbed out of the hole as the first attack hit and both her and Coby stared at the small girl in front of them, neither quite believing what they had just seen.

"Luffy, w-w-what are you?" Coby stuttered, voice awestruck and she replied with grin.

"I ate the gum-gum fruit."

"Gum-gum fruit?" Coby didn't understand what she meant by that. A shadow loomed over him and he looked up to see Alvida right above him and he quickly hid behind Luffy.

"So you ate a Devil Fruit. I thought they were just mere legend, but after seeing you display your powers now I know it's real. Tell me brat, are you a Marine or a Pirate?" Alvida asked.

"I'm a Pirate," Luffy replied easily.

Alvida smirked, the smile full of scorn. "A Pirate? Don't make me laugh. You're just one kid with no crew."

"I'll get a crew, probably ten or more in week."

"So tell me then, we're both Pirates, right? That makes us enemies," Alvida grinned, a cocky smile, that showed that she believed she could beat Luffy, even with the girl's devil fruit powers. Coby stood off to the side, shaking in fear at the thought of what could happen if she took on Alvida alone.

"Luffyko…" he began, but then he remembered what Luffy had said. "It's not a matter of if I can…it's because I want to. I promised a friend long ago that I would become Queen of the Pirates. If I die fighting for that dream, well then, I wouldn't mind dying."

"Coby? What is it you want to say?" Luffy asked. Then to everyone's utter shock and disbelief Coby started to yell at Alvida.

"You are the ugliest woman in all the seas! The really beautiful one is Luffy and she is a million times more beautiful than you ever were!" Luffy smiled at Coby's courage and let out a loud laugh, watching as Alvida's face boiled red with anger.

"What did you say?!"

"I will join the marines and fight pirates like you!"

"Do you have any idea on what you just said?!"

"I know what I said! I don't regret one word. I'll join the marines and put you behind bars where you belong!"

"YOU LITTLE SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTT!" Alvida lifted her mace into the air with and readied herself to smash Coby's head.

'I did it! I can't believe I did it and I don't feel any regret!' Coby closed his eyes, ready for the pain when Luffy interfered.

"Spoken like a true Marine." She stepped in front of Coby and bent her knees into a ready stance, preparing for the coming attack. Alvida saw her move but didn't stop the swing of her mace, she would kill both of these insolent fools with one smash. Just as the steel mace came into contact with Luffy's head it stopped. Alvida stared in shock at the skinny girl and watched as a grin split her face before she pushed herself up to her full height, causing the mace to rebound off of Luffy's head. The strength of the rebound forced Alvida back onto her ass almost 3 feet away.

Alvida, Coby, and the remaining pirates stared at the young girl in shock as she did a couple of squats and stretched out her legs before standing up again and tilting her hat back on her head. "That won't work on me!" She called cheerfully. She placed her hands on her hips and grinned happily over at Coby.

"W-w-w-w-what what are you?" Alvida was so shocked that this little scrawny brat had forced her back. HER! The strongest female pirate in the East Blue. She rose shakily to her feet. This had to be some sort of nightmare.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Remember my name because I'm the girl who's going to become the Queen of the Pirates!" Then she stepped up to Alvida and pushed her arms back, palms flat. Everyone watched in shock as her arms began to stretch, easily clearing the end of the cruise ship.

"Gum-Gum Bazooka!" Her arms shot back towards her body and she pushed both palms forward into Alvida's gut, sending the overweight pirate flying off the ship and into the distance.

* * *

Coby stared in shock at Luffy, amazed by her incredible powers. He was gaping at her as she rocked back onto her heels with a grin and judging by the looks on the faces of Alvida's former crew, he wasn't the only one rendered speechless by the crazy display of power. She twirled on one heel to face the remaining pirates, her grin lessening slightly.

"HEY!"

"Y-yes?" the crew flinched in fear when Luffy addressed them, pointing over to Coby.

"Get Coby a boat because he's leaving and is going to become a Marine and none of you are going to stop him, got it?" She gave each of them a stern look, her commanding tone making her look more and more like a real Captain. The illusion was ruined when her bright smile came back but the Crew quickly followed her orders since they knew exactly what she was capable of and didn't want to get beat up by her. Coby couldn't be any happier than he was at that moment. He was finally free from that accursed brute of a woman and her crew, ready to take his first step towards becoming a Marine, and it was all thanks to Monkey D. Luffyko. Just then the sound of three cannons firing around Alvida's ship were heard and the ship rocked slightly, shaking both Luffy and Coby. They quickly regained their balance and saw that the cannon balls had come from three Marine ships heading their way.

"That's the Marines," Coby stated.

"What luck, now you can finally join them." Luffy grinned back at him as she turned to run away.

"Are you crazy?! They'd arrest me before I could join them. They'll think I'm one of the Pirates!" Coby hurriedly followed Luffy before he was thrown to jail.

Meanwhile, the orange hair girl that had snuck onto Alvida's ship had stolen a boat and was tying her bags full of treasures down to prevent them from shifting. There was a loud splash next to her and a small boat with Luffy and Coby in it dropped into the water. Luffy and the girl made eye contact for a second before Coby had raised the sail and they were off.

The little boat that Luffy and Coby had taken sailed them away from where the marines were just beginning to board the cruise ship. Coby looked around them to see if any of the Marines had followed their small craft but thankfully none of them noticed their escape.

"I guess we're safe now considering no one is following us." Coby sighed with relief.

"Man that was fun, huh?" Luffy asked before laughing as if they whole thing had been a huge joke.

"Um Luffy? if you're looking for the One Piece that means you're heading to the Grand Line, right?" she with nodded at him to continue.

"You know people called it the Pirate's Graveyard!" he tried to make her understand the danger she would be putting herself into but her look said that she was determined to go, no matter what he said.

"That why I need a really strong crew to get to the Grand Line…by the way that Pirate Hunter the old hag mentioned back there, what kind of guy is he?" Luffy asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Oh, you mean Roronoa Zoro. Last thing I heard that he was being held captive by the Marines at the Marine Base in Shells Town."

"So…he's weak" her voice sounded disappointed.

"NO WAY, YOU'RE WRONG! HE'S AS VIOLENT AS A DEMON AND THREE TIMES AS HORRIFYING…why are you asking about him anyway?"

"I figured if he was good enough he could join my crew," she smiled when she heard how good this Zoro was while Coby gaped at her because of the crazy plan.

"ARE YOU MAD?! THAT'S JUST PLAIN RECKLESS!"

"You never know. Maybe he'll jump at the chance to join me."

"HE'S A BAD ENOUGH GUY THAT THE MARINES CAUGHT HIM! NO WAY, NOT A CHANCE, THERE IS NO WAY! NO OW…why did you hit me?"

"Because I felt like it."

* * *

At the Marine Base, a man hung on a stake in middle of the hot blazing sun. Most people would have thought he was dead because he was slumped over and not moving, but he was actually very much alive. If you looked closely, you could see the demonic look in eyes partially hidden under a black bandana. He was truly what people called him…the Demon, Roronoa Zoro.

* * *

Thanks for reading and again, check out the authors I have listed above. They are amazing! If possible, I hope to have chapter two up tomorrow evening! Thanks again!


	2. Roronoa Zoro, The Pirate Hunter

This is **not** my story. I have changed and added parts from various other One Piece Fem!Luffy and Luffy x Zoro stories to create a full one.

The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you)

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

* * *

Roronoa Zoro the Pirate Hunter

The first time I saw you, I just couldn't breathe. I noticed you standing there; I didn't want you to see. With butterflies in my stomach, I walked up and said "Hello". I wanted time to stop; I didn't want you to go. I felt as if I have known you, and that this was a second chance from some past life together once again…by Farawaysis.

* * *

"The weather is so nice," Luffy sighed taking a long inhale of the sweet sea air and exhaling as she watched waves gently dance around the boat.

"If we keep this up, we'll be at Shells Town in no time at all," Coby said cheerfully, glancing away from his fishing rod for a second. Fishing had always been one of his favorite activities while sailing on the open sea.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive, Coby! You're really good at navigating."

"It's nothing really, this is one of the basic rules while sailing. You have to know these kinds of things. Don't you know how to, Luffy?" Coby talked as if it wasn't a big deal.

"HAHA! I just let the boat carry me where it wants. I'm no good at navigating." She laughed cheerfully at Coby's shocked expression.

"That's how you got caught by the whirlpool!" He yelled. "You need to learn this stuff!" She bent her knees, placing the soles of her feet against each other and grinned at him.

Nah, I'll just get an awesome navigator for my crew!" Coby sighed softly, knowing there was no point in arguing with her. He opened his mouth to say something when she leaned forward.

"As soon we get to Shells Town, we'll get Zoro out of there and he can become my first crew mate! Then you can join the marines!" She laughed again, eyes glazing over slightly as she imagined it. "It's going to be awesome. He's got to be really cool if people call him a demon!" Coby sighed at her happy expression.

"This is nothing to laugh about, Luffy! I've heard that…the Marine Base is holding the infamous Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro because…he hunted down wanted Pirates like a bloodthirsty beast on a rampage and sliced them up without hesitation. People say that he's demonic being in the shape of a human, he's been called nothing less than a living, breathing Demon in human form!" He finished with a huff and stared at Luffy, hoping that he had finally gotten his point across to her. She stared back at him seriously and nodded solemnly before turning to stare out at the ocean again, a grin fighting its way onto her face. 'Zoro, huh?'

* * *

At Shells Town's docking place, after Luffy and Coby had tied their boat on the post, they set off to the city in search the marine base where the great Zoro was being held prisoner.

"Luffy, this is serious! If you think this guy is just going to join you then you're out of your mind," Coby hissed as they walked through the outdoor market place.

"I haven't made up my mind yet about him joining. I have to see if he's a good guy first." She replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"HE'S IN PRISON BECAUSE HE'S OBVIOUSLY NOT A GOOD GUY!" Coby sometimes wondered if this girl was just plain crazy or just plain stupid. Luffy spotted some tasty pears and quickly grabbed one and took a bite before handing the vendor a berri.

"Hey, could you tell me where I can find Roronoa Zoro?" she politely asked the vendor. When the villagers around her heard his name they flinched in fear and began to back away from Luffy. She sweat dropped at their silly act.

"Maybe its best if we not mention Zoro here," Coby muttered softly. Luffy shrugged and continued to walk through the town towards the marine base.

"C'mon let's keep heading to the Base Coby. You wanted to become a Marine, right?"

"Of course I do, Luffy, but I don't know if I'm ready just yet. From what I've heard the man in charge of this Base is named Captain Morgan and he's a very tough marine." Once again the people around the two teens flinched at Captain Morgan's name and backed away as if expecting something to come up and kill them. Now both Coby and Luffy were sweat dropping at the villager's reactions.

* * *

"HAHAHA, this place if full of weirdos!" Luffy laughed, loving the strange reactions they kept getting if they so much as mentioned Zoro or Morgan's names. She had no clue why they were acting like this but it sure was entertaining.

"I don't get it." Coby wondered, scratching his head. "I understand if they're afraid of Zoro but why did they flip when I mentioned the Marine Captain's name too? I have bad feeling about this." What he said was true. People shouldn't be afraid of the marine leader that kept them safe from pirates. He ran the city and protected them...right?

"Maybe they did it for fun," Luffy replied, shrugging.

"And how does that made any sense?"

Before Luffy could reply, she stopped walking. The had arrived at the marine base and now stood in front of a giant steel door with the word Marine printed on it in large white letters. A large white and blue painted wall stretched as far as they could see on either side and Luffy let out an impressed whistle. "This look like the place."

Coby could feel the tears welling at the corners of his eyes, he had finally made it. "I'm finally here. 'sob' This is where we part ways. 'sob' I know we haven't spent much time together but I…"

"Where are the foot holds on this thing?" he was cut off when he saw Luffy trying to climb the wall to the left of the steel entrance.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET DOWN FROM THERE!"

"So where this Demon?" Luffy ignored him and glanced around the large open plaza, arms resting on top of the thick wall.

"I don't think they would keep him out in the open. They probably put him in some underground prison or…"

"Found him!" Luffy cheered. "I'm going to get closer look." She jumped down from the wall and sprinted further left along it so she could take a closer look at Zoro. Coby was frozen in shock for a few seconds but quickly recovered and followed Luffy. She scrambled up the wall and Coby followed, wanting to see if she was right. Sure enough, Zoro stood outside of the base in the blazing heat, arms and stomach tied to a wooden cross and head bent.

"That's him, right? Coby?" she asked, nudging the pink haired boy with a carefree smile plastered on her face. Coby couldn't reply, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open, because he was shaking like a leaf and too afraid to make out a word. He was in the presence of a Demon, the man tied to the post for the world to see was the great Pirate Hunter.

'That bandana…and that haramaki. There is no doubt about it…its Roronoa Zoro." He whispered shakily.

"I bet if I untie those ropes he can be free, right?"

"DON'T BE STUPID! YOU'RE GONNA KILL US BOTH IF WE LET THIS GUY ESCAPE!"

"Ah don't worry about a thing. I'm strong, remember? I can protect us," then she turned and grinned at him.

'She's lost her mind!'

"Hey, you two," A gruff voice echoed from the plaza and Coby panicked because Roronoa Zoro was speaking to them.

"You're an eyesore. Get lost," his tone was low and angry with a glare that could make Satan cry.

"AHHHH! Luffy trust me, there is no way you can survive with a crew member like him." Before he could say anything else to try and dissuade her a ladder came out of nowhere and smacked against the wall. A young girl with black eyes and brown hair in pigtails climbed up the ladder made a 'shush' sound at them gesturing for them to keep quiet. She glanced around the plaza to see if there was anyone there and once she saw it was clear she climbed down using a rope and ran toward Zoro, a bag clasped in one hand. When Coby saw her running toward Zoro, he panicked.

"AHHH! Luffy! We've gotta save her before the Marines spot her or she gets killed by the Demon himself." but Luffy wasn't paying attention to Coby, she was watching the little girl, wanting to see what she was going to do with Zoro. Once the girl neared him she slowed and gave him a sweet smile. Unlike the others, she didn't appear to be frightened of Zoro.

"What do you want?" he was clearly annoyed that the little girl was stupid enough to barge into the Marine Base.

"I thought you might be hungry now so I made some Rice Balls."

"Do you have a death wish kid? Scram!"

"But, you haven't eaten anything in a long time so I decided to make you some lunch. Here." She held up two Rice Balls wrapped in wax paper, showing them off. "It's my first time, but I think they turned out ok." Zoro was stunned at the girl's generous offer. He looked at the round Rice Balls that she held up, he really was hungry, but quickly pushed the thought of food aside and said.

"Listen kid, I'm not hungry so stop irritating me and beat it."

"But…"

"I SAID BEAT IT, KID!" he raised his tone in an attempt to scare her off but that didn't work either. He turned as he heard the door to the base slide open and a weird looking guy walked out, flanked by his two Marine guards. The weird boy was a skinny and lanky-looking young man with light blond hair shaped like an oval on top of his head. He wore a snappy violet colored uniform with white shoes and a rubber band ring on his left hand.

"Now, now, no one likes a bully you know." He walked towards the two with a smug look on his face the two bodyguards trailing behind. Luffy watched as Zoro's expression darkened when he saw the newcomer.

"Roronoa Zoro, you seem to be handling this ordeal well, don't you agree?"

"Who this weird looking guy?" Luffy asked, her brow furrowing with annoyance.

"Ah thank goodness, he's a Marine, maybe everything will be alright now."

"Oh! Looky here, some tasty Rice Balls." The blonde boy stepped up to the young girl and snatched the Rice Ball out of her hand before taking a large bite out of one.

"HEY! They're not for you!" As she said that the weird boy's face turned green and he spit the chewed up Rice Ball onto the ground and grimaced in disgust.

"They're packed with sugar?! You're supposed to use salt, you idiot!"

"But I…I thought it would taste better with sugar," she sniffed. Then the boy snatched the last Rice Ball from her hand and threw it on the ground before smashing it with his foot.

"No stop, stop it!" the poor girl cried out, tears dripping down her cheeks as she watched her hard made Rice Balls be ruined. Coby and Luffy watched the scene before them, shock evident on their faces.

"That's…that's just horrible." Coby shook his head sadly. He couldn't believe that this man was so heartless toward a little girl. Luffy's expression was strangely blank. Once the boy finished smashing the Rice Balls which were now ruined and muddy, the poor girl fell to her knees and cried. All her hard work spoiled by that mean boy.

"But I 'hic' worked so hard to 'hic' to make those."

"Well too bad! I guess you didn't read the notice posted over there. Those who assist criminals in any way will be executed! Signed by Marine Captain Morgan." The boy pointed over at the small sign that stood near the entrance to the plaza and the poor girl began to shake harder.

"HEHEHE it seem even little brats fear my Daddy."

"His daddy?" Luffy's eyes widened slightly when the weird kid mentioned his father who just happened to be the Captain of this base.

"So…that guy's father is Captain Morgan." Now Coby was even more worried for the girl's safety since this cruel boy was practically the second in command after his father. Then the boy turned his head to one of the Marine guards and said.

"You! Toss this kid over the wall right now." the Marine flinched at his order.

"But s-sir, she's just a child." The boy's eyes narrowed and he reached out and grabbed the Marine's shirt in a vice grip and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I said, throw her over the wall, soldier. If you don't obey my orders, I'll tell my Father." The marine flinched again knowing that if he disobeyed the Marine Captain's son he'd be killed for sure.

"Y-yes sir. I'll do it" The boy let go of the Marine with a small nod of satisfaction. The marine felt a heavy guilt settle in his stomach when he saw the girl's frightened face, but what choice did he have?

"I'm really sorry, just curl into a ball, okay?" he whispered to her so that boy wouldn't hear him. The little girl did what he said and just like that he threw her over the wall. But Luffy was ready for the toss, she jumped after the girl and stretched out her arms to pull the smaller body to her chest before wrapping herself around the girl and bracing for an impact against the dirt ground. She hit hard and bounced slightly before coming to a halt and carefully unwrapping herself.

'Ugh, so much for the perfect landing.'

"Thank you, miss." The little girl whispered, hands gripping at Luffy's red vest.

"Luffy! Are you two okay? I can't believe that wretched man would do something so horrible. Are you two hurt?" Luffy let Coby inspect the girl resting in her lap for any signs of injury while she looked at the wall of the base wondering what was happening over there.

* * *

On the other side of the wall, the boy laughed after the girl was thrown like it was a joke to him. Zoro cursed him silently, damning that cowardly boy to hell for his heinous act towards a little girl. Then the boy turned his head to face Zoro.

"HEHEHE still stubborn to stay alive."

"That right, I'll make it through the month without any problem," Zoro said confidently, a dark grin appearing on his face.

"Yeah, good luck with that," The boy turned to leave but before that he kicked at Zoro's right abdomen hard, causing the pirate hunter to clench his teeth. Zoro wouldn't let him see the pain that kick had caused him to satisfy his sick desire for control. After a second the boy snorted and left, his marines following behind him.

"Just you wait. I'll survive the next ten days and win that bet," Zoro grunted, but he made sure to hide his pain. He couldn't help but feel the soreness of the wound on his stomach that the boy had aggravated.

* * *

Back with the others, Coby made another check up on the girl to double check that she wasn't hurt and sighed in relief when he noticed that she didn't seem to be in any pain.

"Thank goodness you're not hurt. How could that man be so heartless? Hey Luffy, what should we…" But when he turned around Luffy was nowhere in sight.

"What the…where did she go?"

* * *

Back with Zoro, he was glad the pain has subsided but the throbbing muscles in his side had swollen and would cause even more pain after he was freed from this bind if it was not treated soon. He opened his eyes with a sigh to see the shadow of a person on the ground in front of him and when he looked up he saw a girl, a pretty girl at that. He took his time to study her, she seemed to be about seventeen years old with light tan skin that almost glowed in the bright sun. Her body was well built but still quite slim and frail looking. Her face oval-shaped and framed by silky black hair held in place by her straw hat. And her eyes…they were the biggest and most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. They reminded him of an onyx gem that sparkled with life and happiness despite the dark, murky color.

Luffy cocked her head in a questioning manner. She had kept hearing from everyone that he was a demon but as she stared at him, all she could see was an average sized, muscular man, bundled up with a green haramaki over his hips, black trousers tucked inside black boots and a plain white shirt with the top three buttons undone. He had three identical golden earrings on his left earlobe that tinkled when he moved and at that moment Luffy came to the conclusion that Zoro was a normal human being.

"So I hear you're a bad guy," she asked the first question that came to her mind and when Zoro recognized the voice he scowled in annoyance.

"You're still here."

"You're stuck there for all the world to see, are you really that strong?"

"Shut up!" he hissed. She sighed and stepped a little closer to Zoro holding her hat in her hands.

"If I were you I'll have starved to death in three days," she declared, grinning happily.

"I've got more spirit than you could ever have, which is why I'll survive this ordeal…this I swear!" He promised, mouth curved in a smirk that said he was determined to win and confident enough to do it. Luffy seemed impressed by his resolve and giggled at him slightly which made Zoro blush a little.

"What a weirdo." She was about to leave when Zoro stopped her.

"Hold on…could you…pick that up for me?" He eyed the muddy Rice Ball with a hungry look and she cocked her head to the side and picked up the muddy grains off the ground.

"You're gonna eat this? But it's ruined and…"

"SHUT UP AND GIVE IT TO ME, KID!" He yelled back in irritation. She stared at him in surprise but shrugged it off and brought the muddy Rice close to his mouth. Zoro was surprised that she would come so close to him when she could've thrown it to his mouth. Didn't she know who he was? He shook his head, he was far too hungry to be thinking right now, and took bite of the grain on her palm, getting the entire thing in his mouth in one swoop and gulping it down before spitting out some of the mud from his mouth.

"I told you so~" she said.

"It was good, tell the girl I said thanks." His tone was soft and there was a hint of kindness in his voice. Luffy smiled at him, she knew he wasn't that bad of a guy, then she heard a grunt coming from Zoro that sounded like he was in pain.

"What's wrong?" She didn't know why but when she saw him flinch in pain, she became extremely worried. Even though she had only known him for two minutes she knew, Zoro was special and he would be part of her crew, and a good captain takes care of her nakama.

"It's nothing, just…leave." The frown she gave him said she didn't believe him, and her eyes scanned over his body, determined to find out what was causing him pain. She quickly took notice of a fresh dirt outline of a footprint on his right abdomen which had to be the source of his pain and she quickly rolled the shirt upward to see a very swollen and bruised patch of skin.

"HEY! HEY! What are you doing?" Zoro didn't know why he panicked like that but he knew he didn't want this girl to see him in his current state.

"That doesn't look good. I have to treat you fast." She ignored his loud protest and put her hand into the right pocket of her shorts pulling out a small circle box. She quickly opened the lid and scooped out a generous amount of the green substance within and leaned over Zoro before rubbing the cream gently over the bruised skin. Zoro hissed in pain at the stinging and cold feel of the cream and his body involuntarily shied a little away from Luffy's hand.

"Sorry about that," Luffy sighed, wincing in mock sympathy. "This cream will sting for a bit but it'll reduce the pain and swelling really quickly." Seconds later, Zoro cracked his eyes open and took a deep breath. True to her word the pain was completely gone as if he wasn't even injured in the first place.

"What is this stuff?"

"It's made out of seaweed and coral reef from the East Blue island where I come from. I collect the items and make this just in case I ever need medical treatment. I always carry it on me," she answered distractedly, eyes still fully focused on massaging the injured skin. Zoro was stunned to say the least and flushed at the feeling of the girl's warm hand. The soft and gentle touch was sending shivers down his spine and God help him to suppress the moan he could feel building up. He swallowed it back, annoyed at the loud sound his adam's apple made as he did and took another deep breath.

"I'm sorry," Luffy apologized, thinking that his reactions were caused by pain from his injuries. She brushed a strand of hair over her ear and continued working. "I'm almost done." A faint scent tickled his nose as her hair shifted and he glanced down, realizing that the sweet smell was coming from her. It smelled almost like wild orchids and a fresh sea breeze; his mind went fuzzy as he just breathed in the scent but sadly it ended when she leaned back, obviously done with her work. She placed the box with the cream back into her pocket and smoothed Zoro's shirt back down before smiling softly at him and turning to head for the wall. She scrambled quickly up the ledge before turning back towards Zoro and waving goodbye, a huge smile lighting up her face.

"My name is Luffy, by the way!" And then she was gone, and Zoro blinked in slight confusion over the actions of the strange girl.

* * *

"Really! He ate it all?!" The little girl exclaimed, clapping her hands with glee. Coby and Luffy had walked her back to town at the girl's, whose name was Rika, insistence. She was smiling happily, overjoyed to hear that her new friend Zoro had eaten her home-made rice balls.

Luffy nodded, sporting her own grin. "Yep, he ate every last grain there was."

"Oh that wonderful!"

"I wonder if Zoro is really as evil as everyone thinks that he is." Coby wondered aloud, thinking it silly that the pirate hunter's whole reputation might just be built off the rumors of scared people.

"NO, he is not!" Rika shouted, turning to face Coby. "…he's a really good person because…he got punished for helping us." Her happy expression faded into a sad look.

"Could you please tell us what exactly happened here." Luffy asked Rika as softly as she could in an effort to calm the upset girl. Rika took a deep breath and told both Coby and Luffy what had happened two weeks ago.

"It's that stupid Helmeppo's fault! He is the son of Captain Morgan."

*_Flashback_*

_"Step aside, step aside. Make way for my beautiful pet doggy," Helmeppo crowed while walking with his sword on his shoulder and his beloved pet down the town's main market street, two Marine guards following a short distance behind him. But his pet was not really a doggy but in fact a fully grown orange wolf with beady yellow eyes and sharp fangs. The people in the market quickly scatter around like frightened mice as the wolf strolls on the street freely._

_"And if anyone doesn't move, I'll have my Father execute you all! HAHAHA!" Helmeppo threatened the people constantly and always got away with everything he did. The wolf pushed its nose into a swinging door that led to the restaurant that Rika's Mother owned and operated. The customers inside let out shrill screams as the wolf leaned over their plates and grabbed at whatever he wanted. Angry, Rika grabbed the broom she had been cleaning with and smacked the wolf over the head, trying to make him leave._

_"Stop it, you mean old thing."_

_"You, little girl, is there some kind of problem with the way my beloved doggy is behaving?" Helmeppo smirked at the girl daring to try and scare his doggy._

_"Rika! Get away from that thing!" Rika's Mother cried out, worried for her daughter's well being but it was too late because the hungry wolf had taken notice of Rika and jumped at her as if to eat her. The little girl screamed in fear, thinking that she was going to die, but before the wolf could reach her, it was hit by a wooden chair hard on the head which killed it instantly. Helmeppo screeched like a little girl when he saw his pet lying dead and Helmeppo and everyone in the restaurant turned to stare at the man that dared kill Helmeppo's pet wolf._

_"Who the hell are you?…wait, you're… you're that Pirate Hunter, Zoro." He knew he recognized that bandana and the three katanas, he was the man known throughout the East Blue sea, the great Roronoa Zoro._

_"And if I am?" Helmeppo held his sword tightly in his hand trying to look heroic and fierce but failing miserably when his legs shook in fear._

_"What's a Pirate Hunter like you doing here in the first place?!"_

_"Can it and let me finish my meal in peace," said Zoro as he took a big bite of his piece of meat. Helmeppo charged at Zoro trying to kill him but Zoro was too quick, he dodged his attack then kicked the idiot's sword through the roof and punched Helmeppo in the face. He drew his own sword and pointed on Helmeppo's face, causing the wimpy man to make a screech that you could have mistaken as a girl crying for help._

_"You're getting on my nerves, pal." To prove that point his face was hooded and the scary look reminded people that Zoro was known as the demonic being. Helmeppo felt the cold, hard steel near his face that looked sharp enough to cut a rock, and quickly thought of an idea._

_"Hahaha, you do realize that if my Dad finds out about this he will surely execute the girl and her Mother." Helmeppo smirked when he saw the look on Zoro's face, he had guessed right and now he had the pirate hunter right where he wanted him._

_"So, what you do say to make a deal between men." He got up from the ground and stared at Zoro face to face._

_"In place of the kid and her Mom, we string you up instead for…let's say one month. If you survive for one month I will be so kind as to let you and the women live. So what you say, hm?" They stare at each other in silence for what seems like half a minute before Zoro sighs and lays down his sword on the table._

_"Then one month it is."_

*_End Flashback_*

"It's been almost three weeks since that day. Helmeppo keeps beating him and punching him while he's tied up, he's being so unfair and I... 'sob' I don't know how to help him! 'sob'" Then all of a sudden Luffy, Coby, and Rika heard a sudden crash coming from a building near them.

They all ran straight to where the sound was coming from and find out it's coming from Rika's restaurant. Luffy shoved the doors open to see Helmeppo destroying the tables and the plates. Then he got tired of storming around the building and sat himself down on one of the chairs, placing his white shoes on top of plates full of fruits.

"Hm, I'm hungry. Bring me whatever you got and keep the check for yourselves! HAHA, and bring me a bottle of one of your best Moon Shines or whatever crap you serve here." Rika's Mother nodded silently and did what she was told while the customers could do nothing but watch helplessly, among them a familiar orangette hair girl in the back holding a drink. Rika's Mother poured the drink for Helmeppo and quickly handed it over to him.

"You know, I'm bored out of my mind. I'm trying to think up something to do, but maybe if I execute Zoro tomorrow. That would be fun, right? HAHAHAHA!" Something inside Luffy snapped like twig at Helmeppo's words. She didn't know why she was suddenly seeing red but that cowardly man had just made one fatal mistake. Her hands clenched into tight fists and she quickly stormed towards the blonde man, and slammed her fist into his face, the blow powerful enough to send him flying into the wall. As he slid to the ground he began to wail, the sound almost like a 4 year old girl who had skinned her knee and everyone gaped at the teenage girl's actions.

"You… you just hit me and you ruined my clothes," Helmeppo yelled at her while his holding his nose, tears dripping down his cheeks. Luffy could feel her anger rising again and she clenched her fists even tighter, left hand moving to cover her right bicep in her classic pistol stance. Coby stopped her before she could hit Helmeppo again by grabbing onto her right forearm and this seemed to calm her a little but she still glared down at the whining boy angrily.

"Luffy stop! What do you think you're doing?!"

"This guy must pay."

"You bitch! You just hit me and made me wet. I'm Captain Morgan's son you know?" Helmeppo yelled.

"I don't care who you are!" Luffy exclaimed angrily.

"YOU'LL CARE WHEN MY FATHER EXECUTES YOU FOR THIS!" He screamed back with teary eyes.

"Why don't you fight your own battles, you coward?" The customers watched the screaming match going on between the two teens with faces of apprehension.

"Stop it Luffy! Why are you trying to get on the Marine's bad side?" Coby asked, trying to pull Luffy back.

"I have made up my mind, Coby…today, Zoro is going to join my Crew!" Luffy's tone was cold and serious and left no doubt in his mind that there was nothing he could do to change her mind.

* * *

Inside the walls of the marine base, a man sat on his comfortable chair in his office, inhaling his favorite cigar and admiring the view of his city. The man's aura held power and authority but in spite of that he was greedy, frightful, and unjust. His name was Marine Captain Morgan, the very one that citizens and marines feared. Even his appearance was frightening, he was a very tall, intimidating man with white-blond hair and a jaw made of actual steel.

"I feel great," Morgan said to the marine who stood by the door. The marine quickly saluted his Captain.

"Yes sir, right you are, sir."

"And yet the taxes we collected don't even compare to my sheer degree of greatness." His voice was cocky as he glared at the box of berris in front of him.

"Yes, it is true sir. I guess the citizen's wallet aren't very deep these days, sir," said the saluted Marine trembling in terror, fearing that the captain would get angry at him because the taxes were lower than the day before. When Morgan noticed that he'd most likely go the person's house with the lowest toll and they will be accused for treason against the marines and be executed on the spot to show an example to the townsfolk.

"The issue at hand is the level of respect for me. Wouldn't you agree, soldier?" It wasn't a question answer, more of a command, agree or die. Before the soldier could answer him, the office door burst open and a weepy and fuming Helmeppo ran in.

"Daddy, there is someone I want you to slaughter and I want it done NOW!"

* * *

*_Flashback_*

_Two children are competing against each other using only Kendo sticks. One is a girl with short dark blue hair and dark brown eyes using the traditional one sword style. The other is a young version of Zoro using two Kendo sticks. The girl struck Zoro with a powerful slash sending both of his kendo sticks flying and knocking Zoro to the ground ending the duel._

_"You're weak, Zoro. nothing ever changes," said the girl smirking in victory._

*_End Flashback_*

Zoro gasped himself awake and took a deep breath because it had only been a dream, a remnant of his past. He glanced around the empty plaza, relieved to see that no one was around there to give him his afternoon beating. Then he began to sulk because of the over-bearing heat burning down on him, with no sign of ending and the lack of food was not helping his already failing body.

'I can't die here…I made a promise to her! I can't afford to die in place like this,' he grunted in irritation, when he spotted a shadow on the ground he glanced up to see the same black hair girl from earlier.

"Ugh, you again? Don't you have better things to do than hang around here," Zoro asked annoyed

"I'll help you escape if you promise to join my Crew," said Luffy crossing her arms over her chest

"Your WHAT?!"

"I'm running a Pirate Crew and I'm looking for people to join up." As Luffy said that Zoro let out a snort. That had to be the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.

"No way. I'd never stoop so low as to join a Pirate Crew. Especially if it's run by a female captain. Screw that." After he said it he felt a sudden rush of guilt that he couldn't quite place as Luffy frowned and placed both her hands on her slim hips.

"And what's wrong with being a Pirate, huh?"

"They're all low life criminals and why in the seven hells would I want to join your Crew?!"

"Uh c'mon!" She whined. "Everyone already thinks that you're some vicious criminal who is only out for blood."

"People can say whatever they want about me but…I've never done a single thing in my life that I regret." Then he smirked and continued.

"I'll make through this challenge and then I'll accomplish what I want."

"Yeah, that great but…I've already decided that you are going to join my crew~" she singsonged, the bright smile returning to her face.

"WHAT? YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

"I also heard you're one of the best Swordsmen in the East Blue."

"Well…I am, but that idiot Captain's son took my swords away." He muttered this last part under his breath. He hated when he showed weakness, especially in front of this girl.

"I guess I'll just have to get it back for you."

"What?!" He was stunned that this girl would do that for him but then Luffy's eyes twinkled with mischief and she continued.

"But if you want your sword back, you'll just have to join my Crew."

"NOW YOU'RE REALLY STARTING TO PISS ME OFF!" He never would've guessed that this young girl could be so…so wicked. Luffy giggled and turned to run in the direction of the Base.

'She really is going to bust in' but he quickly realized that the girl had started running the wrong way.

"Hey, genius! You're going the wrong way." Luffy froze mid-step and made an "oops" sound. Zoro sighed in exasperation before glancing back up to see her suddenly stretch her arms forward hands gripping onto the top of the wall, over 20 feet away. Suddenly she was gone, arms pulling her forward at an incredible speed and launching her up and into the air. Zoro gaped after the flying girl, mind trying to process what had just happened in front of him.

"Did she…stretch?…what the hell is this chick!"

* * *

Meanwhile, at the top of the marine base, Captain Morgan had ordered his men to lift a gigantic statue of himself onto the roof of the central tower as a final touch to demonstrate his power.

"Well, Dad? Aren't you going to do something about this? That bitch just hit me in public. You've never hit me before, why should she be able to?" Helmeppo stood near his father, whining and demanding like a spoiled child who hadn't gotten his way.

"Do you have any remote idea why I never hit you?…well?!" Morgan asked his son, the words almost a hiss as he glanced to the side to glare at the blonde boy.

"Uuhhh…is it because you love me, Dad?" Helmeppo replied in a whisper.

"…No. It's because," Without waning Morgan turned on the ball of his foot and slammed his fist into Helmeppo's face, sending his son flying into the wall. Helmeppo groaned as he sank to the ground, this hit was much worse than how the girl had struck him earlier.

"Because you're a stupid fool who is not worth hitting," He brought out his right arm from behinf his back, showing that in place of his arm, was a large ax, the handle of which seemed to go straight through to his elbow. Then he used the tip of his ax to lift Helmeppo off of the ground.

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea. The only great one around here is the man you call your Father." Then he tossed his son onto the ground with a "thud".

"Which reminds me…I heard a rat snuck into the crucifixion yard?"

"Uh yes, that right. The little girl, but I already dealt with her." Helmeppo commented, waving his hand dismissively.

"I hope that means kill." All of the marines on the roof, and even Helmeppo were shocked to hear this cold-hearted statement from their leader; suggesting that they kill a child.

"Wha… what, no?! I didn't kill her, she's just a kid," said Helmeppo. Helmeppo may be a rotten, stupid, spoiled kid but he wasn't a murderer. Morgan gave his son a disappointed look before he turned to his lieutenant and said."You! Go find this girl and kill her."

"Sir, you can't be serious! She's just a little girl, sir."

"I don't care if she's a child or not, when I give you an order soldier, I expect you to follow it. Now go to town, find her, and kill her."

"No sir, I won't do it," the Lieutenant mustered his courage and stood tall, staring down Morgan to show that he wouldn't do such a terrible thing. Morgan glared darkly at the man who dared to defy him and without warning struck down the lieutenant using his ax hand leaving him to fall to the ground dead. Helmeppo was petrified to see that his Father had just killed one of his own men.

"YOU… YOU KILLED HIM!"

"My strength is what I used to rise to the rank of Captain. Listen carefully, in this world what matters the most is strength. Which means being the Captain of this Base and the highest ranking officer, I'm the most superior person as far as I can see. I do everything right, am I correct men?"

"SIR, YES SIR!" all the Marines saluted their Captain with a new found fear for the larger man.

"Let's put killing the of this girl on hold…for now and behold the greatest symbol of my unending authority." Morgan stared at the rising statue with satisfaction. Once it was in place it would grant him more power and respect throughout the town and then the world.

"It took years to complete it and now here it is. Now men! STAND IT UP, DISPLAY MY GREATNESS FOR ALL TO SEE!" Once that was said his men proceed to heave the heavy statue of Captain Morgan with slow and even pulls.

* * *

Meanwhile, Luffy had been running around everywhere, searching for that stupid kid Helmeppo for quite sometime now and there was still no sign of him anywhere. Not to mention, she hadn't seen a single marine the entire time.

"Huh, I wonder where everyone went off to?" She stopped and tilted her head, confused at the lack of people and was able to hear a faint shouting coming from the top of the large central tower. "Maybe there?" She glanced up to the top and took two steps back before launching her arms up and propelling herself up the tower with a shouted, "Gum-Gum Rocket!"

As the men heaved the statue up the side of the base one of the men was unfortunate enough to slip and accidentally scratch the statue's hand on a light post. The Marine tried to apologize profusely to Captain Morgan countless times but the Captain wasn't hearing any of that. He raised his ax-hand, ready to strike down the marine for committing 'treason' but stopped when he saw a large object suddenly fly up past the tower. It looked almost like a large bird but upon inspection he saw that it was actually a... GIRL?!

"What is that?!" one of the Marine yelled in surprise as Luffy shot past them.

"Ahh! Too high! Too high!" She screamed stretching an arm to grab onto one of the ropes holding up the statue. She used the rope to pull herself to safety, landing easily on the roof but upsetting the balance of the marines trying to lift the statue. They tried to correct the sudden change in weight and balance but it was already too late. The force of the statue caused it to hit the edge of the roof and crack in half, sending the top part down into the back training yard, hitting the ground and shattering into a million pieces.

Everyone gawked at the young girl casually dusting herself off, gazes shifting between her, the bottom half of the statue, and Captain Morgan. They were shocked to see that the Captain's custom statue had been completely ruined by one scrawny little girl. Luffy laughed nervously as she noticed the mess she has made.

"Hehehe, sorry…about that." She scratched the back of her head embarrassed as she tried to apologize but Morgan was too angry to hear her measly excuses.

"SEIZE HER AND HOLD HER DOWN SO I CAN KILL HER MYSELF!"

"SIR, YES SIR!"

"THAT'S HER DADDY! SHE'S THE BITCH WHO HIT ME!"

"Hey, there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you." When Helmeppo saw the girl come running towards him he shrieked in terror and tried to back away but Luffy had already caught him and in a choke hold and started to drag him towards the roof entrance.

"DO NOT LET THAT GIRL ESCAPE!" Morgan yelled at his men as they began to chase after the small girl. One of his men yelled that he had spotted someone in the crucifixion yard. He looked down to see a little boy running toward the strung-up Pirate Hunter.

"I'm surrounded by traitors".

* * *

Luffy had been dragging Helmeppo through the halls of the large facility, trying to get the location of Zoro's sword out of him and she was starting to get impatient.

"Okay, so tell me where Zoro's sword is right now!"

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT, I'LL TELL YOU 'AH' STOP DRAGGING ME ACROSS THE CARPET!" Poor Helmeppo's butt was burned to the limit where he probably would never feel it again. Luffy slid to a stop and grasped the front of his shirt, staring at the whiny blonde.

"Fine, which way?"

"In my room. We just passed it, behind you on the left."

"What?! Why didn't you say so in the first place?" She sighed in annoyance. "Now we have to go all the way back.". She turned back to notice three marines blocking her path.

"STOP! don't move and let Helmeppo go." The leader of the three shouted as they all pointed their guns at her.

"No way but…you can try shoot me if you want," as she said that she put Helmeppo in front of her as a shield.

"AAAHHHHHHHH! DON'T SHOOT! DON'T SHOOT!" When Helmeppo screamed like a maiden in distress, Luffy took the opportunity to run passed the Marines and into Helmeppo's room.

* * *

At the crucifixion platform, Coby was trying to help Luffy out by unbinding the ropes holding Zoro to the post so he could escape out of town. That would hopefully get Luffy out of the line of fire, at least.

"You have to get out of here, Zoro, and fast," Coby said, fingers dancing over the small knots.

"That manic is going to kill you for what you're doing right now."

"No, I can't just leave you here. I can't stand the way the marines are behaving anymore, a true marine should be honorable!" Coby was really upset to see the way the marines had been acting. Fraidy-cats that couldn't do anything to stop the tyrant that was Captain Morgan. They were supposed to be brave.

"Look kid, I can't leave. I got ten days left and then I…"

"Well not quite." Coby cut in. "They're going to execute you tomorrow."

"…What?!"

"Helmeppo never intended to honor your agreement, he planned on killing you from the start. This made Luffy really angry, so she knocked him out for you."

"She…did that…for me?" He felt an overwhelming sense of warmth and gratefulness for Luffy's actions.

"Now the Marines are mad and are dead serious on catching her. I'm not asking you to become a pirate or anything like that but I hope you'll help her because you have a lot of strength you can offer." Zoro didn't know what to say, his mind was on overdrive. If Helmeppo killed him it would break his promise and that annoying girl, Luffy, was risking her life to help him, a stranger she barely knew. Then he heard Coby continue with his rant.

"Luffy is the only one who can save you from your execution…and of course you're the only one who can save her from a very similar fate." As soon as the last words left Coby's mouth Zoro knew what he had to do.

"End of the line!" Both Zoro and Coby turned their heads and gasped in surprise at the line of marines, led by Captain Morgan, who were aiming their weapons at the two teens.

"For the crime of treason against me, I sentence you both to die where you stand!"

* * *

Luffy had finally found Helmeppo's room. She stared around the pink, frilly room, covered in girly fashions and sighed. "Yup, this is definitely your room." She dropped Helmeppo onto the dark red carpet and quickly scanned the room to find Zoro's sword. She quickly spotted 3 swords resting against the small bookshelf, two black scabbards and one white.

"What the, there are three of them?! Hey weirdo, which one of these is Zoro's?" She stretched her arm to grab at Helmeppo's shirt but quickly noticed that he was out cold. She shrugged in resignation and dropped Helmeppo back onto the ground before walking towards the bookshelf to grab the three swords. As she passed by the window she glanced outside to see that both Zoro and Coby were surrounded by marines. She quickly opened it, prepared to jump to their rescue when she heard Morgan speak.

"I've seen you pull some interesting moves around here. Is this some kind of poor attempt at overthrowing me. Did you plan this with that straw-hat girl?" Morgan growled.

"Tsk, I always fight alone like a real man. Not like a coward who hides himself behind walls of expendable cronies."

"HAHA!" Morgan let out a loud laugh at that. "Roronoa Zoro, don't you dare underestimate me. You may be a strong Swordsman but under my rule you're nothing but a rat that need to be exterminated. TAKE AIM, MEN!" Morgan's men took their positions waiting for their Captain's order to fire and Zoro could do nothing but stand there and face down death.

Up in the bedroom, Luffy gasped and quickly strapped the three swords to her back before grabbing the window sill and stepping back, stretching herself like a slingshot. "Gum-Gum... ROCKET!" She screamed, launching herself out the window and towards the plaza where her nakama and friend were in trouble.

"FIRE!"

Luffy landed on the ground between Zoro and the marines with a thud. The guns had already been fired and were now aiming right at Luffy.

"LUFFY! NOOOOO!" Coby screamed.

"LUFFY!" then Zoro yelled too.

"STRAW HAT!"

Luffy quickly stood and spread out her arms, making herself as wide of a target as she possibly could. As the bullets struck her back, they sank into her skin, stretching it forward and out, the bullets continuing to follow their trajectory as if she wasn't even there. After a second the skin covered bullets slowed to a stop and froze, before ricocheting back through her body and into the marines who had fired them. Everyone was rendered speechless by the girl who had suddenly appeared from the sky and reflected their own bullets back at them. Luffy began to laugh, the sound loud and joyous.

"That…won't work on me, because I'm strong!" while the Marines and Captain Morgan stared at her in shock, Coby is just relived that Luffy made it in time. Zoro stared at her in astonishment, wondering for the millionth time what was wrong with this girl.

"What the…Just who the hell are you?" Luffy turned her head towards Zoro and gave him her signature Monkey D. grin.

"My name is Monkey D. Luffyko and I'm gonna be Queen of the Pirates!"

* * *

To be continued next chapter. Woohoo, this is a lot of fun. I spent so long rewriting and combining stories (originally just for myself) and it's nice to share it with other people. My love and thanks to One Piece fanfic authors for creating stories for me to read. I hope to one day be as good as some of you.

I plan on posting the first chapter of one of my own stories in the next day or so so look forward to that.

HUGE thanks to all who Story alerted this or favorited it. You all are the reason I am posting this!

Til tomorrow!


	3. The Unlikely Pair

This is **NOT** my story. I have changed and added parts from various other One Piece Fem!Luffy and Luffy x Zoro stories along with my own writing to create a full one.

As I get further into the story, about chapters 5 and 6 it will start becoming more of my own writing mixed in with everything else I have added. I'm looking forward to posting up Luffy's background with Shanks. Most of the flashback scene was written entirely by me and the rest was heavily edited by me and it was a lot of fun!

Sorry Pizzafan123, Shanks' chapter will be the next one. But I can guarantee it will be lots of fun with some adorable ZoLu moments.

Shirani-Chan - Thanks so much for the review. Glad you like it and stay tuned for more!

The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you)

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

* * *

The Unlikely Pair: The Pirate & The Pirate Hunter

Together we can face our fear, together we can make all the sadness disappear, together we can make no more tears, all the dreams can be true if we are together my dear. Together there is nothing to worry about, together we can go anywhere in or out, together we can make lot of beautiful things to be proud, and together everything can be found

SO GO AHEAD TO BE AS ONE HAND….by Angelica Ayman.

* * *

Zoro and Coby watched in horror as the marines took their aim, waiting at the command of the ruthless, tyrant Captain Morgan. Coby had started crying and was frozen in fear; he didn't want to die after finally having the courage to escape from that brute of a woman, Captain Alvida. He wanted to become a marine, he didn't want to die at the hands of marines. Zoro had similar thought. He certainty didn't want to die, he had a promise to keep and if he died, he'd die as a failure. He refused to die before accomplishing his and her dream.

"FIRE!" as Morgan shouted, the Marines pulled the trigger and everything seemed to move in slow motion. As the bullets left the barrels a girl dropped from the sky, right in the trajectory of the shots, standing to shield the two original targets from harm. As the bullets ricocheted, the girl straightened her hat and began to laugh, a wide and bright smile on her face.

"That won't work on me!" She giggled. "I told you I was strong." Then she began to laugh harder, bending over at the waist as she clutched her stomach, laughing like an insane person because of the looks she was getting. In all their years of hardship and experiences, the marines had never seen such a power display from one so small right in front of their eyes. Morgan was the only one who didn't seem to be fazed, but Zoro wasn't doing much better than the marines, his eyes wide and face showing a mixture of shock, disbelief, amazement, and slight anger for the fact that she scared him half to death. He didn't know why he cared so much. They had only known each other for a few hours and he had already thought that he was going to lose her. But this crazy, aggravating girl had some sort of insane ability that can protect her from anything and she hadn't told him!

"JUST WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU COULD DO THAT?!" Zoro shouted at her. Luffy turned her head to Zoro and softened her manic smile.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffyko and I'm gonna be Queen of the Pirates!"

"You're gonna be Queen of the Pirates? Yeah right, you're even more crazy than I thought; do you have any idea what that means?" Zoro asked. He was even more worried now. Was this girl ok, or was she totally insane?

"Queen of the Pirates means Queen of the Pirates. how can it mean anything other than that?" she answered him, head tilted to the side as if the answer was as simple as that. Then Coby chuckled softly and elaborated.

"Yeah, when she first told me that, it was shocking but she's completely serious. That's how she is, of course, she has every intention of becoming Queen of the Pirates and obtaining the greatest treasure of them all, the One Piece." Zoro stared back at the small girl in shock, he respected her a little more now after learning that she was willing to die to achieve her dream. Luffy's grin widened again as Coby talked about the One Piece and even though he could respect her, Zoro still wondered if she had gotten hit on the head too many time as an infant.

He was brought back to the present when Luffy stepped in front of him and held out the three swords she had brought. "Here you go, just like I promised. There's three of them but I couldn't tell which one was yours so I brought all of them."

"All of them belong to me." Zoro explained, sighing. "I use Santoryuu, the Three Sword Style Technique."

"Ok, take them already, but just so you know if you fight with me now, the government will consider you a villain. So it's either that or get killed by the marines, execution style." Luffy stared at him seriously, and Zoro snorted.

"What are you, the Devil's daughter? It doesn't matter because if I don't choose your side I'll be dead on these sticks, so let's do it." Then he smirked darkly, a face that could make anyone cry like a tiny school girl but seemed to have no effect on Luffy. She just whooped and did a small jump of joy.

"YAHOOO~ My first mate! This is going to be so awesome, thank you so~ much~!" And then she gave Zoro a big hug, eyes sparkling. Zoro was petrified for a second from the sudden cuddle and the warmth of his new captain pressed against him made him feel almost light inside. He quickly snapped out of it and glared down at her angrily.

"WILL YOU STOP HUGGING ME AND START CUTTING THESE ROPES ALREADY!" She removed herself from Zoro, giggling, and moved to do what he said. The marines just continued to stare at the trio, baffled and frightened by the girl's powers.

"What the…what is she?" one shocked Marine asked, not expecting an answer, barely even believing his eyes. "The bullets just bounced right off her."

Morgan stepped forward, supporting his large ax-hand. "The Straw Hat is no ordinary girl; she must've eaten one of those devil fruits that we've heard so much about." The marines began to whisper back and forth to each other.

"The Devil Fruit?"

"The hidden treasure of the sea!"

Morgan quickly silenced them. "The Devil Fruits, they say who ever eats one of those can gain extraordinary, other-worldly abilities. The power to breath fire, the power to cause tsunamis, rumors persist that they are many types of these Fruits but next to nothing is known about them. It is said that the secret lies somewhere in the Grand Line, and there's no doubt about it that the Straw Hat girl has shown her Devil power." While Morgan described the fruits to his men, Luffy was busy trying to untie the ropes holding Zoro to the post, and in the end only making them tighter. Both Zoro and Coby began to get more anxious and hissed at her to hurry it up.

"It doesn't matter what abilities she has, all who oppose me are traitors. If guns won't work then CHOP THEM!" Morgan shouted this order to his marines and all of the soldiers quickly drew their swords before charging at the trio. Coby began to panic even more and even Zoro was starting to get a little worried. He glanced down Luffy but the young captain didn't even seem to notice the approaching marines.

"This is actually a lot harder than it looks,: she scratched her head in confusion.

"GIVE ME MY DAMNED SWORDS NOW!"

"LUFFY!" Luffy turned to see the marines bearing down on them and reacted. Coby watched their approach with terror before closing his eyes, not wanting to see the gruesome sight. He heard a loud clanging of metal and cracked one eye curiously before gaping at the sight in front of him. Zoro was free and had stopped the coming marines with his three swords, one in each hand and the last, with the white handle, rested between his teeth. With his incredible strength, he had succeed in blocking every one of the marine's swords. Captain Morgan stared at Zoro shocked, brows furrowing and teeth grinding together in anger. Luffy had been pushed back as Zoro moved, feet tangling underneath her and sending her back onto her ass. She stared up at her first mate, amazed at his speed and power, her ever present wide smile showing him how impressed she was. Some of the marines gasped and tried to move but before they could take a single step Zoro slid his eyes to the side and said to them in his most intimidating manner.

"Make one move and you die." His expression was so dark that most of the marines had to fight the urge to drop their swords and run.

"He's so scary," one of them whispered, voice cracking with fear.

"Today I officially become a criminal for having fought the marines. So I'll become a Pirate, that I promise you…BUT, I want to let you know one thing. While I'm with you, the only thing I dedicate myself to is to fulfill my ambition." Zoro's voice was muffled by the sword in his mouth but Luffy understood him and saw in his eyes that this was important.

"Which is?" She asked, adopting her own serious gaze and nodding at him to show she would honor whatever he said.

"To be nothing less than the World's Greatest Swordsman. If something should have happen along the way that stops me from reaching my dream then you take full responsibility for it. I will ki-" He stumbled, almost hesitating, before continuing. "Afterward, you have to apologize to me directly." His tone showed that he was completely serious and his expression mirrored his tone.

"The World's Greatest Swordsman sounds good to me." Luffy nodded before continuing. "The Queen of the Pirates wouldn't have anything less than the best on her crew." Then she smiled in glee and Zoro knew that he had chosen to follow the right person.

"You've got guts for a little girl. From this point on, no matter if I'm criminal or not, my name shall spread throughout the world and to the heavens above," Zoro exclaimed.

Captain Morgan had had enough of their exchange and the lack of motion in his troops and he began to shout again.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING STANDING THERE FROZEN?! KILL THEM ALREADY! RIGHT NOW!" The marines flinched at their Captain's voice. They had completely forgotten what they were supposed to do, but Luffy was already two steps ahead of them.

"You might wanna duck, Zoro," She warned, rising to her feet. She lifted her right leg up and placed a bracing hand on it. Zoro's eyes widened in understanding and he quickly pushed back the marine's swords before dropping to his stomach.

"Gum-Gum Leg Sweeper!" She lashed out with her leg as it stretched, becoming almost like a long whip. It struck the marines Zoro had been holding back and sent them flying into the wall 10 feet away. Captain Morgan gawked in surprise to see his men defeated by a girl with just with one hit.

"Wow, that's amazing! You knocked them all down," Coby cheered as Luffy's leg snapped back into its original position; even Zoro looked impressed.

"What are you, Luffy?"

"I'm a rubber human. I ate the gum-gum devil fruit," She laughed, wiggling her leg playfully before standing straight. The marines she had hit were collapsed on the ground, groaning, and watched as the frightening girl relaxed out of a fighting stance and turned to the two others she was with. Some began to speak up, knowing there was no way they could beat them.

"Captain, we don't stand a chance against them."

"He's right, just look at them! They're insane."

"We couldn't even take on Zoro by himself."

Morgan gritted his teeth in fury and a vein began to pulse on his forehead. "This is a direct order, every Marine that just showed weakness and spoke, pull out your guns and shoot yourself. You're nothing but cowardly and incompetent soldiers who can't even carry out one simple order."

Luffy turned to glare at Morgan as she heard the order, watching some of the marines lift their guns to their heads. They had been insulted and humiliated by their commanding officer one too many times in her opinion.

"Hey Zoro? let's end this," she said sternly.

"You got it."

They both charged past the kneeling marines, ready to pound Morgan to submission. The captain saw their approach and raised his ax-hand to his chest, blocking Luffy's fist and Zoro's swords.

"Rank-less, low-life bums! You have no rights to defy my superiority. I'm Marine Captain Ax-hand Morgan," Morgan shouted as he removed his coat and threw it.

"Tsk, as if I care who you are." Zoro rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"And my name is Luffy," she said at the same time. "Nice to meet you, asshole!" Her eyes were dark with anger as she jumped back slightly. "Zoro? I've got this guy."

"Go to hell!" Morgan shouted, sweeping his ax in front of him and just missing Luffy as she jumped, one hand holding onto her hat. The swing cut the fence to Morgan's right in half, forcing Zoro to take a few steps back. In midair, Luffy straightened out of her jump and planted both feet on Morgan's face, sending the captain back onto the ground with a thud.

"The captain...!" The marines stared in shock as Morgan rose back to his feet and glared down at Luffy angrily.

"Go to HELL!" This time Morgan swept his ax in a downward motion. Luffy stepped to the side, barely missing the sharp blade, twisting her hip as she did and kicking out with her right leg. Her leg stretched into a shorter version of the whip she had used earlier and her foot hooked over Morgan's head before slamming him face first into the ground.

"He's being kicked around like a rag doll," Some of the marines whispered, watching the fight with wide eyes.

Luffy placed one foot square on Morgan's back and held him down, still glaring angrily at the larger man. "Some great marine you are. Abusing your men; ruining Coby's dream. She raised her fist to punch Morgan one last time but froze at a loud shout.

"WAIT!"

Luffy turned her head to see Helmeppo standing next to Coby, a gun pointed at the pink haired boy. She followed through with her punch, knocking Morgan out before stepping away from the marine captain.

"I SAID TO WAIT!" Helmeppo whined. "NOBODY MOVE OR I'LL KILL HIM!"

The marines stared in shock at the normally timid son of the captain, almost holding their breath as they waited to see what the girl would do. Zoro's expression was blank but he too was curious as to what Luffy would do.

"Luffy! Don't worry about me!" Coby shouted, fists clenching. "I don't want to be in your way. I'm not afraid of death!"

"QUICKLY GUYS! CAPTURE HER AND ZORO!"

Luffy removed her hat with a sigh and began to slowly walk towards Helmeppo. The marines watched her, stupefied at her actions, did she want the boy to die? Zoro just fell into step a few feet behind her. For some reason he almost knew that she would be able to save Coby.

"I SAID, STAY BACK! I'LL KILL HIM! I SWEAR I'LL KILL HIM!" Helmeppo kept threatening Luffy as she neared him, grabbing onto Coby's arm and holding the boy tighter against himself. Finally, Luffy stopped only a few centimeters from Helmeppo, Zoro standing a few feet behind her; muscles tensed and ready for anything.

"Do you really intend to take someone's life, Helmeppo?" She asked quietly, lowering her face and letting her bangs fall into her eyes. Helmeppo opened his mouth to reply but Luffy continued talking softly.

"I don't think you can, because you've never taken someone's life before. You've always let your Father do the killing for you…isn't that right?"

"YOU'RE WRONG AND I'LL SHOW I CAN KILL HIM!" Helmeppo pressed his gun on Coby's head harder but didn't pull the trigger as if his index finger had froze.

"Helmeppo...what exactly are you going to do after you kill Coby? Do you think your Father will be proud of you, is that it? You may have many bad qualities, Helmeppo, but you are not a murderer. If you kill Coby, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Luffy's voice never changed from the soft, calm tone and she smiled sadly at the blonde boy. Helmeppo was shaking with tremors and his eyes welled up with tears. He sniffed and tried to come up with an answer but he had nothing, her words echoing through his head over and over. Did he really want to kill the boy? Would it going to prove that he was man enough for his Father to be proud of him? All his questions would forever be unanswered because…because the thought of murdering the boy made him sick. It wouldn't make him a man, it would make him…

He raised his eyes to see Luffy smiling kindly at him, her hand outstretched towards him. "Just this once, do what is right, Helmeppo. Be a better man than your father. It's going to be okay, Helmeppo, it'll be over soon. Just hand over the gun to me very slowly and this nightmare is going to end." She continued to soothe him with soft words, smile never leaving her face. Helmeppo stared at her hand, the frightened expression still on his face as everyone waited in silence to see what would happen next. Finally, to everyone's surprise, Helmeppo slowly placed his gun in Luffy's hand. The exchange seemed to take forever but she closed her fingers around it and smiled in accomplishment.

"Thank you, Helmeppo. Now this is going to hurt a little." Helmeppo didn't get chance to reply as she jabbed lightly between Helmeppo's shoulder and neck causing him collapse on the ground in a heap, freeing Coby. The pink haired boy let out a slight sigh of relief before glancing over Luffy's shoulder, eyes widening.

"LUFFY! Behind you!"

Luffy turned to see Morgan running towards her, ax-hand raised and eyes wild. "I am...the great Marine Captain Ax-hand Morgan!" His arm swung down in its arc and Luffy knew it would hit her, she didn't have time to counter-attack and if she dodged his attack would hit Coby.

Suddenly Zoro was there, swords crossed, blocking the attack, his eyes flashing with anger. With a growl he pushed Morgan back before slicing him with all three blades and knocking the marine away from _his_ captain. With a final swing, Zoro sent Morgan crashing to the ground and everyone around knew he wouldn't be getting back up again for a while.

Luffy watched as Zoro slipped his swords back into their sheathes before facing her.

"Thank you," She whispered softly.

"I'm just doing my job…Captain," Zoro replied with a grin. Luffy grinned widely, hearing the word "Captain" from Zoro made her feel good and bubbly inside.

"Are you ok Luffy?" Coby asked worried, stepping up next to her. When she nodded happily he sighed with relief before continuing. "Thanks, Luffy. you saved my life again."

"That was nothing. You were pretty brave Coby, willing to risk your life for your friends. You're going to be one heck of Marine," she praised, smiling happily. Coby blushed and scratched his head in embarrassment as the marines threw up their hats and cheered. Morgan's reign of terror over them had finally ended! Luffy giggled and grabbed Coby's arm before pulling him into the crowd where some marines were starting to dance. She smiled back at Zoro and waved for him to join but he shook his head before smiling. He smiled, not because they won, he was smiling at Luffy. She wasn't some ordinary girl and he knew joining up with her would be one hell of an adventure. Suddenly his vision began to swim and he let out a soft grunt before falling backwards onto the ground. Both Luffy and Coby gasped with worry and quickly ran over to where Zoro lay, spread out, on his back.

"Zoro… Zoro, are you okay? What's wrong!" Coby asked panic causing his voice to crack. Zoro opened one eye slowly and glanced up at the two teens leaning over him.

"…I'm so hungry." His tone was hoarse with hunger and completely worn-out, and Luffy sat back and blinked comically before throwing her head back and laughing.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the now "Ex"Captain Morgan's office, two Marines sat tied up, their mouths covered with cloth which muffled their curses. Within the office, the intruder is none other than the mysteries and familiar orange hair girl. She was rummaging every nook and cranny, looking for some unknown object but hadn't found it as of yet.

She cursed, she still hasn't found it, and she glanced around the room one last time to see if anything stood out, it had to be hidden in plain sight, then she spotted a safe behind some barrels.

"Jackpot," she exclaimed happily. She pushed the barrel away and bent down to place her ear to the door, intending to crack it but the door swung open on its own, surprising her. She peeked inside and smiled, the object she had been looking for, a ripped piece of a rolled map, laying inside.

"That it, the chart of the Grand Line! I knew they were hiding it in here." As she said that, she unrolled the chart to have a look but what she saw on the paper was not a chart of land and sea but a funny looking Jolly Roger with a big red nose. She gasped as she recognized the Jolly Roger.

"So it's Buggy…also known on the seas as Buggy the immortal." She clenched the paper angrily, knowing that the map of the Grand Line she had been searching for was in the hands of Captain Buggy. Going to his base of operations to steal the chart from him would be suicidal but she was willing to take that risk...she had to.

* * *

Outside Rika's restaurant, people gathered around the windows to watch as the two heroes who had saved them stuffed themselves silly on countless amounts of food.

"Oh, ah boy, am I stuffed! I haven't eaten in three weeks, I was ready to eat my own clothes." Zoro rubbed his bulging belly happily as Rika, Coby, and Rika's mom watched and laughed. Zoro had already finished five plates of the delicious homemade food while Luffy sat across from him, holding out her empty plate and asking for more.

"Hey, how the hell can you have a bigger appetite than a guy who hasn't eaten in three weeks?" Zoro asked, his eyes wide with surprise. "Aren't girls supposed to eat light and have a good figure?"

"It's good food. I guess it just tastes good, right Coby?" Luffy said simply, digging into the fresh pile of food in front of her.

"Yeah, it's great! Thank you for the meal," Coby turned to express his gratitude to Rika's mom.

"My pleasure," She replied, cleaning a glass at the bar. "After all, you three saved this town. We owe you all a great debt." Her words echoed the sentiment that many citizens held towards the heroes of Shells Town.

"You're the coolest girl I've ever met! When I grow up I wanna be just like you," Rika said admiring her new found idol from her seat next to the she-captain.

"Thanks!" Luffy replied cheerfully. "And I'll be even cooler when I become Queen of the Pirates and finds the One Piece and, of course, get the best crew on the seas!"

"So how many crew members do you have besides me?" Zoro asked. She took a bite of a piece of steak and answered.

"Just you."

"Wait you mean its just you and…me?" he pointed at her then himself with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Yep, it just us." Luffy smiled cheerfully, taking another bite of the food.

"You know that doesn't count as a whole crew."

"So what? We're strong enough to take on anything."

"Fine. But do you at least have a decent ship?" Zoro sighed, conceding that point. They were both really strong. Luffy pointed past him, this time with her fork, and he turned to follow her line of sight to the small dingy moored at the waterfront.

"…you're kidding, right?" his voice was tinged with exasperation and he glanced back at her in disbelief.

"Nope." Luffy chuckled, popping her lips on the p sound. "But we'll have a huge ship soon, just you wait and see." She threw her arms up in the air like a happy child getting a new toy. Zoro laughed at her antics and said.

"And how are you going to do that?"

"With a great big Pirate flag on top," she answered.

…

…

…THUD, Zoro sat back in his chair heavily, one hand covering his eyes.

"How I got sucked into this is beyond me."

"Don't be like that, Zoro! We'll have tons of fun and get more nakama soon," Luffy huffed, waving her fork in exaggerated motions trying to convince Zoro then she heard Rika question.

"Luffy, where will you and your crew be traveling when you leave here?"

"Isn't it obvious? We're heading straight to the Grand Line!" Before Rika can utter a word, Coby spit out his juice and slammed the cup on the table before standing up and yelling.

"WHAT?! Have you completely lost it?! You CAN'T go to the Grand Line with just you and Zoro; that place is the hell of all four seas!"

"I heard about this place, but I just thought it was an awful place," said Rika, glancing at Luffy worriedly.

"It's worse than you think!" Coby cleared a space on the table and began to draw a diagram on a napkin. "As you all know, this world has two oceans. We all live on one ocean that has been separated into 4 seas. Separating the north and south seas is the current known as the Grand Line, home to the roughest seas ever found anywhere. And separating the east and west seas is an enormous land mass called the Red Line. Legend tells that there is a town placed dead center on the Red Line, right where the Grand Line cuts through it on its path. Captain Gol D. Roger sailed the Grand Line and made it past the land mass of the Red Line. He traveled to the ocean that no one has ever documented and obtained the World's greatest treasure, the One Piece and made it back out alive. Shortly after he died, but his final words said that he had hidden his treasure somewhere in the Grand Line. Ever since then, pirates have traveled to the Grand Line searching for the One Piece. Today that place is a war zone with pirates ruthlessly killing one other. People have taken to calling it the Pirate's Graveyard." he finished his lecture, a grim look on his face as he stared down at his makeshift diagram.

"Well, that too bad, because that where we're going, right Zoro?" Luffy asked, glancing at her first mate and completely ignoring the glaring threat that said they might both end up dead. Zoro just leaned back in his chair.

"I guess we have to live with it." He grinned.

"NO, you can't!" Coby shouted in panic.

"What do you care? It's not like you're coming with us," Zoro exclaimed, raising one eyebrow.

"No, but I still worry for you and Luffy. Even though Luffy and I have only known each other for a couple of days, I still consider her a friend, right Luffy?" Coby asked timidly.

"Of course we're friends. Even if we part ways we'll always be friends," she said with smile, Coby was silent for a moment then a smile spread across his face.

"When I was just a little kid I didn't have any friends, much less anyone willing to fight on my behalf, so I never tried to fight for anything myself." Coby started by telling Luffy and the others about his past life, and the time he endured alone before his eyes filled with hope and determination.

"But the two of you have taught me a lesson that couldn't have learned on my own; how to stand up for what I believe in and live my life the way I want. So, I will make my childhood dream a reality, I will join the marines!" Rika and Luffy both grinned at Coby's declaration and resolve. They were proud of him, especially Luffy, she remembered how when she first met Coby he was nothing but a stupid and useless crybaby but now... Coby has grown into the opposite of what he was before, a brave and confident boy that will one day be a fine marine. Before she can respond to him, Zoro cuts her off.

"That all well and good but…I think you should be more worried about your current situation." Coby didn't get what Zoro meant, and the swordsman sighed before continuing.

"I mean you did say you spent two years serving under Captain Alvida's Pirate ship. Even if you were a Cabin boy, there against your own will, the Marine's information gatherers are top notch. Once they find out you were one of Captain Alvida's crew they'll never let you join."

"I…I never thought of that," Coby had totally forgotten about that and Zoro was right; after spending years with Alvida as her Cabin boy, serving her… He clenched his fists, he couldn't let it end like this, not after everything that had happened so far. Suddenly a group of Marines entered Rika's restaurant startling everyone in it. One Marine stepped forward probably the next commanding officer after Morgan's defeat.

"Are you guys by any chance, Pirates?" he asked respectfully.

"You got it! Zoro is the first member of my crew so this whole thing is official now," Luffy replied, pointing happily at the swordsman.

"We appreciate what you all did to save us from the vicious tyrant Morgan who terrorized our town; however, now that we know you're both pirates, as marines we cannot sit idly by and let you do your business… Therefore you and your crew need to leave this town immediately. Out of respect for what you've done we will not report you to HQ." As he finished, Coby could hear the people of the town shouting in disapproval, stating that the marines were being unfair to them and that if it wasn't for them they would still be living in fear under Morgan's rule. Before they could protest any more, Luffy lifted a large sack filled with food over her shoulder and grinned.

"Very well. Time to go, Zoro." She turned to Rika's mother and bowed respectfully. "Thanks for the food and everything."

"Wait, you can't leave now," Rika cried, grabbing onto Luffy's shirt, saddened to see them go. Luffy nodded seriously and patted Rika's head before following Zoro to the door. She passed by Coby without a word and the pink haired boy stared at the ground, frozen in place. The new commander of the marines stared at Coby before turning to face Luffy.

"Wait, isn't he with you?" Both Zoro and Luffy halted, their hands on the door and glanced back at Coby. The she-Captain stared at Coby seriously for a minute before grinning widely and saying.

"What I can tell is what is he's been doing up to this point." Coby spun around to gape at Luffy.

'LUFFY! NOO!'

"Yeah, he was serving under this big fat lady, I think her name was Alvodo or something."

'No, if they find out that I worked under Alvida, I'll never join the Marines!'

"She used to carry this huge mace around and let me tell you, she was the nastiest woman I have ever met. For two years, this wimpy kid was her private cabin boy." Then all of a sudden Coby charged at Luffy, hand clenched and ready to punch her, to stop her from talking any more but before he could Zoro was there, blocking Coby's punch with his open palm. Zoro curled his fingers over Coby's small fist before grabbing the front of the pink haired boy's shirt with his other hand and throwing the boy back into the wall of the bar. The commander and marines were shocked to see the fearsome pirate hunter attack the poor boy and quickly stepped between them.

"That enough! It's obvious that this boy is not one of your crew so stop this fight and leave town this instant." Luffy placed her hand on Zoro's arm and he nodded before leaving the restaurant. Luffy took one last look at Coby and the boy saw a playful smirk spread across her face and he suddenly realized what they had done.

'She did it on purpose…Luffy did that just to help me out…she made me so mad that I tried to hit her. She probably would have let me punch her, but Zoro knew I'd feel terrible if I did so he stepped in to help. Even now, at the end, I'm still relying on the both of them so much. I couldn't do anything for myself, nothing's changed at all…I'm such an idiot!' With that last thought he picked himself up from the ground and faced the marine commander.

"Sir, please let me join the Marines." He begged, bowing forward in a proper military bow. "I'll cook, clean, scrub, I'll do anything you ask. I'll do anything to become a Marine." He said all of this without any signs of hesitation, he wouldn't back down, no matter what. The Commander stared at the boy, slight admiration in his eyes, and then his second in command stepped forward and whispered in his ear.

"Sir, I'm not sure if we should trust this kid. I think it might be best if we do a quick background check first," he suggests, eying Coby suspiciously.

Coby straightened up to his full height and clenched his fists at his side. "No matter what you find I'm the man who will become a Marine." Fire shone in his eyes and everyone around could tell that he was serious and dead set on doing this. He would become what he always wanted to be- a Marine, to save people and bring justice to all. Everyone stared at the boy in astonishment, then the Commander walked slowly past Coby and said.

"I can't tell you how many of our comrades have killed by Pirates over the years…but, permission to join granted." Coby smiled happily at him and turned to salute his new Commander.

* * *

Meanwhile, Zoro and Luffy were walking at a leisurely pace towards their temporary ship, both ready to set sail and begin the new adventure that awaited them.

"That was some acting you pulled back there. I won't be surprised if they see right through it." Zoro chuckled, elbowing his new captain in a teasing manner.

"Haha, I had it under control." She laughed. "You didn't have to step in back there."

Zoro just shrugged nonchalantly and she continued. "Coby should able to handle the rest on his own. I have faith in him." They stepped out onto the pier and Luffy took a deep breath of the sea air, her eyes falling shut in bliss. Zoro watched her for a second before turning away and looking out at the horizon with a sigh.

"Well, it is a fitting way to leave this place. Unable to turn back with the marines after us, and the townspeople against us. Very pirate like."

"HAHAHA, yeah it sure is," as she laughed she untied the rope that anchored their ship and let Zoro get in. She was just about to jump onto her ship when she heard Coby shout. She and Zoro both turned to see Coby, Rika, and Rika's mom standing in the distance, waving.

"Thank you so much!" Coby yelled. "You have done so much for me. More than anyone else ever has." Then he raised his hand in a traditional marine salute to Luffy.

"I never heard of a Marine thanking a Pirate before. This one is going in the history book." Zoro joked, settling down into a comfortable position on the small boat and Luffy giggled in response. She put the ship's rope down and quickly ran up to Coby, and gave the boy a peck on his forehead which made Coby stumble back in embarrassment.

She giggled and said. "This is for good luck and my wish for you to succeed." Then she turned on her heel and ran back to the boat, pushing it away from the dock with her foot as she went. Coby stood watching her, a really goofy smile on his face and Zoro…he didn't know why but he didn't like the way Luffy had kissed him like that, even if it was just an innocent kiss.

They released the main sail and caught the wind, pulling away from the port and the small town. As they began to sail Luffy leaned against the main post and waved back at Coby and her new friends.

"So long, Coby! I hope we meet again someday," She called.

"Luffy…thank you." he could feel tears swelling up in his eyes and he quickly swiped at them before waving back.

"Bye Luffy! Bye Zoro!" Rika waved at them.

"ALL HANDS SAAAAAALLLLLLUUUUAAAAATTTTEEE!" Coby turned in surprise to see the entire remaining marine force saluting the retreating pirates, wishing them good luck as well.

"BYYYYYYYYEEEE" Luffy called one more time before they sailed out of eyesight. Coby smiled as he heard his Commander speak.

"That's a good friend you got there." Coby felt like crying in joy but he blinked back the tears and smiled proudly instead.

"Yeah."

"Men. Seeing that our current salute to the pirates is in violation of Marine law; we will all go without food for three days. Do I make myself clear?"

"SIR, YES SIR!"

'I know we'll meet again someday.' Coby thought happily. 'Deep inside I can feel it as much as I feel anything. Even if we are divided as pirates and marines, I still look forward to that day.'

* * *

The sunset shone brightly with many shades of yellow, orange, and purple making Luffy's smile widen even more as she and her first mate sailed across the open sea.

"At last," She sighed happily. "Our Pirate crew has finally set sail."

"I've got a feeling that some interesting adventures are waiting for us," Zoro replied leaning back against the curve of the boat and Luffy giggled at his comment.

"I'll be Queen of the Pirates, I know it!" she declared.

"You seem obsessed with this Queen of the Pirates business, is there some kinda story behind it or any reason why you want it so badly?" he asked.

"…Nothing…except…."

"Except…what?"

"Except, I promised someone I would gather the greatest crew, find the greatest treasure, and become Queen of the Pirates…and this Straw hat knows whole story." She smiled fondly as she thought back to the memory that inspired her to go to the open seas. Zoro half smiled, pleased with her answer and closed his eyes to sleep. Maybe having her as his Captain wouldn't be so bad after all.

"I see."

"Now let's go, let us set out! We're heading to the Grand Line." with that said both Luffy and Zoro sailed away towards the unknown, opening a new chapter of their grand adventure.

* * *

Thanks so much for reading!

Next chapter is the flashback with Shanks along with an adorable ZoLu scene added and edited from Killjou's 'First encounters with the stretchy type'. If you've read the original you will notice I have changed a lot and also completely changed Luffy's gender.

Have fun and look forward to the next chapter tomorrow!


	4. Enter Red-Haired Shanks

This is **NOT** my story. I have changed and added parts from various other One Piece Fem!Luffy and Luffy x Zoro stories to create a full one.

As I get further into the story, about chapters 5 and 6 it will start becoming more of my own writing mixed in with everything else I have added.

Parts of this chapter were taken from Killjou's 'First encounters with the stretchy type.' The story is amazing and I definitely recommend it!

Most of the flashback scene of this chapter was written entirely by me and I am pretty proud of it. Enjoy!

Pizzafan123 - Here is Shanks' chapter. Thanks for reviewing and reading. Hope you like it!

Shirani-Chan – Your reviews make me really glad my friend talked me into posting this. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!

The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you)

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

* * *

Luffy's Past! Enter Red-Haired Shanks

Memory, you walked in to my life, but just like that, you walked back out, still you will be a memory. A memory that I have created in my mind, still you will be a memory, a memory that will always be locked, away in my heart and my mind, I will always have a memory of you in my heart, and I will always carry that picture of you in my mind, still you will be a memory…..by Nicole Edwards.

* * *

Somewhere in the middle of the ocean, three weird looking men sat on a small boat counting a large pile of treasure with greedy glee. They are the Tightrope Walking Funan Bros, members of the infamous Captain Buggy's Crew.

"Hehe, look how much loot we stole in only two days."

"All of this should keep Buggy from being mad at us."

"Hey, what's that?" one of them saw another smaller boat not too far from where they sailed.

"We should check it out," another said, tilting back the brim of the hat on his head.

They changed course and sailed their ship closer to the small rowboat and when they leaned over to take a peek inside. what they saw made them smile deviously. A girl with orange hair lay limp over one of the sides of the boat, appearing to be unconscious.

"Hey wake up, little girl," The pirate with the hat called, poking the girl's arm a few times. She stirred slightly and blinked up at the grinning men leaning over her. A soft smile came to her face and she said in a dazed voice.

"Ah, thank goodness, a rescue. Please, please, I desperately need water. I've been thirsty for two days, just please give me just one sip and I'll give you as much jewelry and valuables as you want. I just need water." She waved her hand dismissively towards a very fancy looking chest that sat at the opposite end of her rowboat. The lid was closed but with its style it was probably filled with tons of treasure. The three pirates smirked at their luck, another treasure they could steal and a pretty girl to boot; things couldn't get much better than this.

"Don't worry, will help you. But first we want to see the treasure, then you can have as much water as you can stomach," said the Pirate who had first sighted the ship. The three quickly made their way over to the girl's small rowboat and the third bent down to try and open the lock. With a _click_ he threw the padlock away and just about to open it when suddenly a panda head spring from the chest like a jack-in-the-box. The surprised pirates jumped back in shock and stared at the box in confusion when they heard a mischievous chuckle coming from behind them. All three quickly turned around to see the orangette girl sitting calmly in their boat, sailing further and further away from them.

"If you want, you can keep the whole thing it's not my style." She called cheerfully back to them.

"HEY, GET BACK HERE!"

"SHE STOLE OUR BOAT!"

"YOU TRICKED US!" They kept yelling and cursing at the thief who stole their boat and their stolen treasure. Their Captain will be really mad at them now and probably kill them in a most sinful way; then the girl held one hand up to shade her eyes.

"From the look of those clouds moving in from the south, you guys should expect a strong wind and squall any time now." True to what she said, a big cloud formed above them almost instantly, its edges sparking with lightning. Then the girl continued.

"Also, a small boat like that won't last long in a storm." Once she finished the clouds drew closer and closer toward the three panicked Pirates. It started to rain and a powerful wind is knocked the boat around, making it wobble and shake brutally, before flipping it over along with the pirates on board. The whole event lasted barely three seconds. The girl grinned in triumph, her plan had worked perfectly.

"BINGO, see ya! I'll just borrow whatever treasure you got here."

"GET BACK HERE YOU, BITCH!"

"WE'LL GET YOU FOR THIS 'plurrbb'!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Luffy and Zoro had been sailing over the endless ocean for two days now with no island in sight and the food supplies disappeared quickly after the first day. Zoro rested against his trademark napping spot at the bow of the boat, his three swords resting protectively in the circle of his legs. He watched Luffy, his eyes bored, as the small captain hung over one of the wooden sides, fingers dancing across the waves.

"So hungry," she moaned and let out a small grunt as her stomach grumbled and gurgled. Zoro let out a sigh and closed his eyes, his mouth down turned in a frown.

"This is just great. We're in the middle of nowhere, we have no food and no water and on top of that we have no idea where the hell we are." he grumbled and for the millionth time wondered what had possessed him when he decided to follow this clueless girl. Luffy remained silent and didn't say anything back to Zoro, which was rare for her. For the past two days that girl had been nothing but a big ball of limitless energy. She was talkative, laughable, and downright childish, as such, at the current moment, Zoro was doing what he could to hold onto the ridiculous amount of sleep he had missed out on lately while Luffy was miraculously distracted with… wait, what was that hyperactive captain of his actually doing?

Shuffling a bit, Zoro peeked one eye open to see Luffy still at the other side of the boat (which was really only few feet away) craned over the side of the boat, staring at something in the water. Zoro watched for a few minutes as Luffy's head dipped lower, disappearing from sight and moving back and forth.

Zoro snorted slightly, struggling not to laugh. No doubt there was some kind of big fish Luffy couldn't help but follow, like a cat with a goldfish. She reached out further, this time one of her hands reaching out to the water and skimming over it and back, tracing the waves as she hummed loudly to herself.

As Luffy pushed herself out just that tiny bit further, Zoro frowned, moving forward slightly, body tensing. Luffy was a devil fruit user, right? So that meant she couldn't swim, yeah? So why the hell was she balancing so precariously out of the side of the boat like that? What if she fell in?

Zoro contemplated it for a few more seconds before forcing himself to relax back again, a slight scowl traveling to his face. Who made him her babysitter? Luffy obviously wasn't a child. She was his new captain, not his charge. She could look out for herself. After all, he didn't really think the younger girl was that irresponsible with her own safely, especially when she had shouted her dreams of becoming the Queen of the Pirates to Zoro loud enough for everyone to hear.… but Zoro had been wrong before. But what did he really care if Luffy fell in? Well, he'd have to save her, of course. But she'd survived this long on her own, hadn't she?

Sighing, Zoro let his head fall back, and he groaned to the sky. This one-man-crew job seemed to already be much more trouble than it was worth. But, Zoro knew deep down that was wrong. There was something about this girl; this hopeful, dopey kid, that made Zoro want to be all he could be.

So maybe he should do something about the impending danger Luffy constantly seemed to put herself in.

Blinking his eyes open to do just that, Zoro was met with a nice view of Luffy's small, tight ass. It was high in the air, with Luffy's torso well over the side of the boat by now.

Shaking away the hot flush that rose up his neck, Zoro reached out a hand to grab her ankle. "Luffy-" he started warningly as his hand closed around the skinny limb.

At the same time it did, there was a splash from the side of the boat, and a thick tentacle waved itself from the water toward Luffy's face. She leapt back with a squeak as the tentacle shot for her neck, but Zoro's grip on her ankle contradicted the huge sideways leap she attempted. As a result, Luffy's ankle was ripped from Zoro's hold and she toppled backwards over Zoro. Right over the _opposite_ side of the boat.

The spray from Luffy's splash showered over Zoro, who was still sitting there, staring dumbly at his hand which until recently had held Luffy's foot. She wasn't there anymore, though. _Sh__e was in the water_. Zoro's eyes finally widened in pure panic.

The tentacle had stopped in its assault, and had paused when Luffy hit the water, before shooting downwards eagerly. Without hesitation, Zoro followed. "Oh no you don't," he growled to the unnamed tentacle as he dived under and everything turned blue around him.

He immediately caught sight of the octopus right below him with the source of his problems drifting helplessly within the clutches of the masses of thick and powerful tentacles that were winding themselves around every part of her body. Zoro angled himself down, pulsing with anger. The Octopus was no bigger than Zoro, but that didn't hamper it from going after Luffy.

He could see it now; it wasn't just that devil fruit users couldn't swim when they were underwater, they were completely immobile. And powerless.

Luffy couldn't even struggle. She was limp, easy prey for the giant Octopus, who now had his impressive amount of appendages curled far too tightly around her thin neck, waist and legs, and was now starting to move towards the far off bottom, probably to slowly digest its meal.

Reaching them, Zoro grabbed the closest waving limb he could and yanked it with all his might back towards him. _Like hell I'm going to let that happen_, he snarled internally.

The Octopus whirled on him, it's black eyes narrowed in anger as it horded Luffy behind it, its front tentacles flying out at Zoro. Zoro caught each one, and yanked the Octopus again around to avoid a third coming for him.

This would have been so much easier if he had his swords, or just one. Damn.

Wasting no time, Zoro pulled the whole Octopus towards him and leveled it was a smashing blow (still holding the tentacle in his hand as he punched), which regrettably wasn't nearly as powerful as it would be underwater, but still had the desired effect. The octopus reared back, it's tentacles lashing, but Zoro held tight.

Gritting his teeth, Zoro tightened his grip on the two tentacles he had and planted his feet squarely between the beast's eyes, before pushing as hard as he could, straining against the octopus's attached muscles.

Harder and harder he pushed while ignoring the attacking tentacles, pulling and pulling. The skin around the base of the two tentacles he had started to tear, and the octopus started spasming under the pain, it's eyes wide and unseeing.

Black blood started pouring from the octopus, and it went crazy. Satisfied it would no longer fight back, Zoro's grip eased, only to have the octopus rip away from him in blind fear and take off. Luffy was seemingly forgotten within its hold, and her limp body was dragged along.

Zoro started swimming frantically after them, his panic rising. He hadn't planned on it bolting like that with Luffy! _Damn it!_

After a short bout of swimming in crazed panic, Zoro just managed to dive forward and grasp the tip of a tentacle, ripping the poor beast back towards him again. Shoving the failing tentacles out of his way with a bubbled grunt of anger, he located Luffy and started to madly rip all the tentacles off her. The suckers popped off, leaving behind tight bruises and circled marks, but Zoro couldn't have cared less about that right now.

His breath was starting to run out, and he needed to get Luffy out of the water _now_.

Finally disentangling Luffy from the terrified octopus, Zoro kicked his way to the surface, allowing the octopus to dart away. They burst to the surface in a rush of water and air, both panting heavily as the sun turned their eyes to slits.

Luffy coughed and hacked as Zoro held her head up, water spewing from her mouth in gasping spurts. Zoro winced at the blossoming bruises that were forming on her too pale neck as she spat out the last of the water.

Zoro quickly cast his head around for the boat, before spotting it nearby and, making sure Luffy was breathing against his chest, started paddling awkwardly with one hand. He didn't get very far before Luffy's head weakly slumped forward right into the water. Zoro stopped immediately with a curse and pulled Luffy's head up gently by the forehead. His brow furrowed as he thought of the best way to transport the exhausted devil fruit user in the water.

Coming up completely blank, Zoro almost missed Luffy's small hands trying to grasp at his chest and encircle his neck, unable to do so because of her sapped strength. Catching on, he wrapped a hand around her waist to hold her up and used the other to lift each of Luffy's arms around his neck, automatically leaning back so her hands would stay there.

Luffy's head rested on Zoro's chest for a moment before she slowly lifted it and met Zoro's eyes, their faces close. She smiled weakly, but brightly. "Thanks, Zoro," she said warmly. Then, giggling, she leant forward as best she could and pecked Zoro on the nose.

Zoro blinked, his mind chugging along, before he realized what happened and he flushed. "Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, leaning back further so Luffy was fully supported by his top half. "You're an idiot, you know that?" Zoro received a cute giggle in response.

Turning around, he held one arm around Luffy's back as they lay in the water chest to chest, and he was not letting his mind wander to how it felt to have her small body pressed against him, his powerful legs kicking them back towards the boat. He tried to keep the embarrassment, or worse, the pleased smile off his face, but failed as soon as Luffy's forehead fell back to his chest, where she definitely wouldn't be able to see his face.

It was annoying for Zoro to try and drag the both of them into the boat, but as soon as he did they fell together in a tumbled heap. Rubbing the back of his neck with a grunt, Zoro sat up, realizing Luffy was sprawled in his lap, panting lightly as she tried to regain her strength. He also realized he didn't have the heart –or need- to push Luffy off.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He asked shortly in a frustrated voice, his now mild panic fading, but still present. "How the hell could you let yourself fall in like that? You know you can't swim!"

He lifted Luffy up like one would to a child, frowning at the light bruises forming along her arms and neck. None of them were bad, but they would be impressive soon, and he hated the tight feelings they brought to his chest.

"I know," Luffy's voice was weak and hoarse but she grinned happily at Zoro, before innocently stating, "But wasn't Zoro the one who tripped me up by grabbing my ankle? That would make it Zoro's fault!"

There was a short brooding silence from Zoro, who realized that Luffy was (shockingly) right, before Luffy laughed, pushing herself up Zoro's body until she was resting with her side to Zoro's chest, legs curled over Zoro's and head resting leisurely against his collarbone.

"But I wasn't worried. I knew Zoro would save me," Her voice was so confident and serious as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Zoro was an idiot for not knowing.

Zoro opened his mouth to say something, then realized he didn't know what to say to that. The unwavering trust that had so easily been placed in him without a second doubt… no-one had ever trusted him with such responsibility before…

"But…but… you dumb-ass! What if I hadn't been here?" he groused, still struggling with the strange situation.

Luffy tilted her head up cutely, blinking, her face blank. "But you were."

Zoro growled in frustration at Luffy, again finding no rebuttal to her innocent and straight forward logic. Luffy grinned knowingly at him, her hand reaching up to tip her straw hat back, only to find it wasn't there.

Luffy's eyes widened, and she scrambled wildly out of Zoro's hold, falling flat on her face before pushing herself quickly to her feet. The boat rocked, and Zoro gripped the side for support. "_Luffy_!" he yelled. "Calm down, you'll fall in again-!"

_"My hat_!" She cried, panic in her tone, looking around, head whipping almost comically from side to side. "_Where is my hat?"_ She finally spotted it floating in the ocean where it had fallen, a far ways off from where their boat now drifted. Without a second thought, she leapt off the side of the boat for it.

_"LUFFY!"_

Zoro dived for Luffy without leaving the boat and swiftly grabbed the scruff of the girl's vest, jerking her straight from midair and back into the boat, fuming.

"Wait **HERE**," he snarled, anger clouding his eyes at the thought that she had just tried to throw herself back into the water he had barely just dragged her out of. He quickly removed his water-logged boots. "I'll get it! You know, cause I can actually _SWIM_!"

Completely oblivious to the pissed sarcasm in Zoro's voice, Luffy clasped her hands in worship-like wonder, staring at Zoro with stars in her eyes from her place at the bottom of the boat where Zoro had unceremoniously dropped her. "Ne, Zoro? Really?"

Her answer was a huge splash as Zoro hit the water a second time that day, and started stroking swiftly towards Luffy's wayward hat. He reached it in no time, grabbed it, and started making his way back, grumbling sourly the whole way.

Before he could even clamber back in the dingy Luffy had whipped the hat from his outstretched hand and was hugging it for all she was worth. Zoro growled angry as he hooked his leg over the side and rolled in, dripping water everywhere. That was just great, no _gratitude_-

He wasn't prepared for Luffy to suddenly pounce on him, eyes shining like the sun, even though he strangely expected it. "Zoro, you saved him! You saved my hat!" And just like that, Luffy began raining light kisses on Zoro's forehead, nose and cheek.

Zoro's eyes bulged to a comical degree and his hands landed on her slim shoulders, ready to shove. Then one of the kisses landed pleasurably right beneath one of his eyes, and his mind short-circuited.

"Uhn, _wha_-?"

Luffy didn't slow down. "Thanks, Zoro!" she squealed. "No-one has ever jumped into the ocean for my hat before! You're the greatest!"

Zoro seriously considered sharply telling his new captain that no one had ever jumped him and considered him the 'greatest' before just because of a stupid hat, and no-one ever should, but as her smile widened and her mumbles of gratitude continued, Zoro found himself suddenly not as obliged to shooting his captain down as he would have.

Luffy stopped after a minute and lay over him grinning, before she sat up. Zoro about to protest at the stop before he caught himself. Silence reigned as the two stared at each other, before Luffy simply smiled at him.

Zoro found himself blinking, his face slowly melting into a small but pleasured smile.

"Thank you Zoro, really. This hat means the world to me."

Zoro shifted back into a comfortable sitting position and reached for his swords, his eyes still focused on Luffy's happy face.

"You're welcome, captain." She placed the hat happily back on her head and turned to stare out at the endless sea, humming happily to herself. Zoro watched her, content, for a moment before a thought popped into his head.

"Hey, Luffy?"

"Hmm?" She turned back to face him, head tilted in a curious manner.

"You said you promised someone you'd become Queen of the Pirates, right? Does that hat have anything to do with that promise?"

She giggled and pulled the hat over her eyes, her smile wide. "Yeah!"

"_This straw hat means more to me than you can possibly know. It's been with me through many fights, it's something so precious that I couldn't give it to you, Luffy._"

*_Flashback_*

_Ten years ago…in the peaceful town of Fuusha Village, part of the small island of Goa, located near the Red Line northeast in East Blue._

_In Party's Bar, a group of Pirates are having a celebration. There is no true reason for them to be partying but they do so anyway, eating pork and drinking Sake until their stomachs bulged. Except for two who seemed to be chatting. One was a man of twenty seven years, with the most striking features; bright red hair, three scars across his left eye, short scruffy beard, and a straw hat. Next to him sat a seven year old Luffy, her hair pulled up in a short ponytail, wearing a white and blue striped shirt and a pair of blue shorts. She turned to the man next to her and said._

_"Hey, you gotta take me with you on your next adventure, Shanks. I want to be a Pirate just like you!" then Shanks laughed._

_"Right, as if you can ever be a Pirate."_

_"Why couldn't I?" she whined._

_Off to the side, Shanks' first mate, Benn Beckman, sat at an empty table watching the conversation while smoking a cigarette. His long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he smirked at the young girl's never ending demand. At another table close to him sat the ship's sniper Yasopp, skinny with shoulder length blonde cornrows, who watched Luffy fondly. Next to him was Lucky Roo, the roundest pirate on the ship, eating a leg of meat and waiting to see what would happen next._

_"Look Luffy. You can't even swim sweetheart. You'll never make it out here as a Pirate." Yasopp chided gently._

_"But I'm a great fighter! My punches are like pistols! And I can just stay on the ship." she said as she held out one of her fisted hands._

_"Are they now?" Shanks replied in a bored tone, head resting in one hand as he ate his meal._

_"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"_

_"Haha, it means you're too much of a kid, kid." said Lucky Roo._

_"Yeah, he's right I got boys that are older than you," one of Shanks' crew said._

_"I'M NOT A KID! I'M A GROWN UP!" she yelled again._

_"Here, have some juice and calm down" Shanks chuckled handing Luffy a glass cup of apple juice, her favorite, and the kitten-like anger she was feeling melted away._

_"Wow, thanks Shanks!" She drank the juice quickly and put the glass back down, humming happily when the entire crew laughed suddenly._

_"I don't know one pirate that drinks juice," said Shanks, covering his mouth while he laughed._

_"Hey, you tricked me!" The crew began to laugh even harder at her glare._

_"STOP LAUGHING! THAT WAS A CHEAP SHOT!" as they continued to laugh, Makino, the owner of Party's Bar watched the scene with a chuckle. She wore a yellow kerchief, an orange blouse with black sleeves and a long light blue skirt with orange and white sneakers. Her hair is dark green that flows down to just above her shoulders and cute chocolate brown eyes._

"_Luffyko? Would you like something to eat?" She asked maneuvering a large barrel behind the bar._

"_Yeah! I'll pay you back with my treasure!" She cheered as she turned to face the older girl, her original anger at Shanks fading._

"_What treasure, Luffy? You're lying." Shanks teased, poking at her face._

"_NO I'M NOT!"_

"_You seem to be having fun today, captain," Makino giggled, ruffling Luffy's hair affectionately. _

"_Of course," He laughed. "Teasing her is my joy."_

"_Told you!" Luffy hissed back at Benn. The first mate had been continuously trying to tell Luffy that Shanks didn't tease her to be mean but to make her think seriously about what she said. 'Right now though,' he thought, muffling a chuckle. 'Luffy might be right for once.'_

"_Shanks?" Luffy's voice turned serious and the red headed captain turned to look at her. "How long are you gonna stay?"_

_He thought about it for a second, downing a bite of food with a swig of sake. "Well, we've been using this island as a base for about a year now. We'll come back a couple more times before we head further north."_

"_A few more times, huh?" Luffy sat back, shoulders slumped slightly, before she sat up straight, eyes flashing with determination. "I'll learn how to swim by then!"_

"_Good luck." Shanks encouraged._

_Suddenly the door burst open, flying off of its hinges and sliding across the floor. They all watched as a tall man followed by a troop of mean looking bandits stepped into the bar. Luffy recognized the leader as the mountain bandit that had been on all those wanted posters, Higuma. He had black hair and a goatee and an "X" shaped scar above his right eye. He wore a long purple coat with a white shirt and black trousers. He also had a golden necklace around his neck. Everyone sat perfectly still, tensing as if preparing for trouble, except Shanks who continued to eat his meal._

_"Excuse us" Higuma said in uncaring tone as he walked past Shanks' crew, stepping on the pieces of the broken door as he walked. He took notice of the pirates around him and smirked in disdain._

_"So these are the pirates I've heard so much about." He chuckled humorlessly. "They look rather sad to me." He shoved in next to Shanks, upsetting the pirate's balance somewhat and slammed a hand on the counter. Makino quickly walked over to Higuma, wanting to avoid any unnecessarily violence._

_"Good afternoon, what can I get for you, gentlemen?" Her tone is polite, but you can clearly hear that her tone was stating that she didn't want any trouble in her bar. Luffy watched on worriedly._

_"We're Mountain Bandits, but we didn't come here to tear your place apart. We just want some Sake. Ten barrels should do." said Higuma._

_"I'm sorry. I'm afraid we're fresh out of Sake right now," Makino apologized, body slightly shaking._

_"Interesting, those Pirates seem to be drinking something and it doesn't look like water to me."_

_"No, that just happens to be the last of what I had stocked up. I'll have more of it next week though." She bowed slightly in apology but it didn't seem to have much effect because Higuma's expression began to darken with anger. Shanks turned to the bandit leader and held out a bottle of sake he had been about to open._

_"My apologies gentlemen, it looks like me and my friends drank the whole place dry. I've still got one unopened bottle if you'd like. Go ahead." Shanks offered Higuma the bottle with a smile which only seemed to anger the Bandit Leader more and he grabbed the head of the bottle and struck the pirate with it, shattering the glass and spilling sake all over Shanks. Makino and Luffy gasped in surprise at the sudden attack but Shanks' crew seemed…unfazed that their Captain was attacked._

"_Who do you think I am?!" Higuma shouted angrily. "One bottle is not enough. I'm a wanted man with eight million Berris on my head and I've killed 56 people. Don't insult me" Shanks sat there silent, his face hidden underneath the brim of his straw hat, ha almost appeared angry but then he bent down and picked up a large shard of glass._

"_Geez, the floor is all wet with sake now. It'll get sticky if it dries. Sorry about this Makino," he apologized, moving to pick up the rest of the shards of the broken bottle. "Do you have a rag?"_

_"Oh, don't worry about it," Makino stuttered, moving to run around from behind the bar. "I'll take care of it." Before she could reach Shanks, Higuma unsheathed his sword and slashed horizontally at the bar backing where plates and empty cups rested. Shards of glass and ceramic flew everywhere, forcing Shanks onto his butt on the floor._

_"Since you like to clean so much, here's some more work for you." Higuma hissed, turning his back on the bar. "Geez, a place with no Sake is not worth our time then. Let's go boys, see ya later, pansies." As Once they all left things got really quiet, Luffy could hear her teeth grinding as she fought back her anger. That rotten bandit and made fun of her friends and Shanks. But what angered her even more was that none of them did do a thing to stop him, not even a good punch to the face._

_"Captain, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Makino asked leaning over Shanks as she wiped Sake and food away from his face._

_"Not a problem in the world, Makino." Then he began to laugh, a loud wholehearted laugh as if it had all been some kind of practical joke. His crew quickly joined in._

_"He really got you good, Boss," said Yasopp sniggering into his fist._

_"Talk about a loser," Lucky Roo added holding his round gut as he chortled. The crew continued to laugh, the sound so loud that even the townsfolk could hear them from outside. Then Luffy stood on her stool and howled._

_"WHY ARE YOU ALL LAUGHING?! WHAT SO FUNNY?! YOU SHOULD'VE FOUGHT BACK, SHANKS! IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW STRONG THEY LOOK OR HOW MANY OF THEM THERE ARE, BUT INSTEAD YOU JUST LAUGH IT OFF! YOU'RE NOT A MAN OR A PIRATE!" When she finished, she stood there gasping, tiny fists shaking with rage. Everyone was silent, surprised by her outburst at Shanks, but the red haired captain understood. She was angry, not because he didn't stand up to Higuma, She was mad because that man had insulted him and his Crew because he thought that they were weak._

_"Look Lu, I know how you feel but the guy just spilled some booze on me. He's not worth wasting my time on." Shanks spoke softly, trying to make the little girl understand, and deep down, she knew he was right but she was still angry._

_"Whatever, I don't want to talk to you right now." She turned away from Shanks, biting her lower lip to keep from yelling or screaming or crying. Instead she jumped down from the stool and started to walk away._

"_Luffyko..." Shanks sighed reaching out a hand to catch her arm as she passed him. She continued to walk, ignoring his call and expecting her wrist to slide out of his hand. What she wasn't expecting was to feel her arm stretching the further away from Shanks she walked. Apparently she wasn't the only one shocked by the new twist of events. Most of the pirates around her let out similar cries of shock and even Benn jumped out of his chair to run over to where she stood, staring back at Shanks with wide eyes._

"_WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" She screamed, trying to yank on her arm and finding that it only stretched more. Lucky-Roo abandoned his place at the nearest table and ran to the bar, where a small treasure chest had been sitting._

"_Captain! The devil fruit we took from the enemy's ship is gone!" Shanks let go of Luffy's arm and it quickly snapped back towards her and she would have fallen over had it not been for Benn appearing behind her and steadying her._

"_Luffy!" She turned her head to stare at Lucky-Roo and stared quizzically at the piece of paper he held in front of her face. It was a quickly drawn picture of a round piece of fruit. It would have looked just like an orange if not for the swirls covering every bit of its surface. "Did you eat this?" The large pirate asked, shoving the drawing closer to her face, as if that would make her remember quicker._

"_Yeah..." She began cautiously, drawing out the word. "It was dessert, wasn't it? Not very good tasting though." She wrinkled her nose in distaste and stuck out her tongue before glancing up at Benn, whose hands were tightening on her shoulders. "I'm sorry. Were you guys saving that for later? I don't think you would have liked it Benn."_

_Shanks knelt in front of Luffy and placed his hand on her cheek, turning her face so she would look at him. "Luffy, that thing was a devil fruit! One of the rarest treasures of the sea. Whoever eats it becomes a rubber man."_

"_Like super powers?" Luffy began to get excited and a small grin started appearing on her face before Shanks continued._

"_NO Luffy! It's a curse! Now that you've eaten it you will never be able to swim, EVER!"_

_Her eyes widened in shock. "WWWHHHHAAAAATTTTTTT?!"_

* * *

_Months passed uneventfully. Shanks' crew had left a few weeks after the incident in the bar with a promise to return. Surprising everyone but Benn, Luffy had taken to her new life as a devil fruit user with the same amount of cheerfulness that she approached everything in life with. She had promised Shanks that she would learn some new moves by the time he came back even though she claimed she was still mad at him. But now, there was a commotion in Party's Bar. Inside, everything was completely destroyed; plates and glasses broken, food scattered across the floor, and tables and chairs knocked down and broken. The commotion had started while Makino was preparing to open the bar. Luffyko sat on her normal seat, using a straw to swirl ice around an empty glass._

"_Shanks and the others have been gone a long time now." Makino commented, wiping off the wooden bar. "Are you lonely, Luffy?"_

"_No!" She pouted, turning her head. The lie was obvious to spot, Luffy had always been a terrible liar but Makino and the others found it slightly endearing. "I'm still mad at Shanks for letting that guy badmouth him."_

"_Really?" Makino asked. "I thought it was brave of him to laugh it off after getting picked on."_

"_You don't understand Makino!"_

_The doors swung open before the young woman could reply and Luffy turned to see who was entering. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of the mountain bandits from before stepping into the bar, led by Higuma._

"_Well, looks like the pirates aren't here today," Higuma chuckled throwing himself into a seat. "Well?" He pointed towards Makino. "We're customers, bring us some Sake!"_

* * *

"_MAYOR!" Makino burst through the door to the mayor's house, panting heavily. _

"_Makino, what's wrong?"_

"_Luffy was... Luffyko was kidnapped by the bandits!"_

_Outside of Party's Bar, Higuma was pressing his foot into Luffy's stomach, attempting to suffocate her, but she continued to struggle, feet kicking out and fists striking at his leg._

_"You know, we were having a nice time in there until you opened your big mouth" Higuma hissed glaring down at the small girl._

_"You better apologize!"Luffy shouted. "No one messes with Shanks' Crew and gets away with it." Higuma pressed his leg down harder and was surprised when Luffy's stomach just flattened and stretched to accommodate it._

_"I don't think I said anything to offend you directly."_

_"You think wrong! Now apologize!" Luffy's arm shot out, stretching slightly and clipping the side of Higuma's jaw. _

"_Well well. What have we here? A rubber human? I could sell her to the circus." He lifted his foot off of Luffy and she threw another punch before he kicked her in the stomach and placed his foot on her head. "Might make a lot of money for this one."_

_"WAIT PLEASE! let the girl go, I beg you" the mayor yelled from behind them. Higuma turned to see Makino standing behind the mayor, a worried expression on her face. He bent himself down onto his knees and bowed his head. "I don't know what she has done and I certainly I don't want to fight over it. I'll pay whatever you ask, so please let her go."_

_"While the oldest generation may know how the world works better than us all, I'm sorry but this kid already made me angry. Nothing can save her now." He brought his sword up high, as if preparing to stab Luffy right through her heart._

_"It's your fault! You rotten old man!" she insulted him again._

_"I've decided. I'm not going to sell you. I'll just kill you!"_

_"NO, DON'T!" both Makino and the mayor yelled._

_"I was wondering why no one came to greet us at the port." both Makino and the Mayor turned slightly to see Shanks standing between them, hat bent low over his eyes._

_"Pirates, so now you're showing your sad faces, have you been spending all this time scrubbing the Village?" said Higuma but Shanks ignored him and glanced down at Luffy._

_"Luffy, didn't you say your punches are like pistols?"_

_"Shut up!"_

_"I suggest you leave right now," Higuma continued, angry at being annoyed. "Come any closer and I might have to open fire on you cowards. Of course, I'll take out the little girl first." Higuma threatened Shanks, digging the point of his sword into Luffy's back. Shanks took a step forward and one of Higuma's men appeared, pointing a gun at his head._

_"He said not to move, pirate. Do you want me to blow your head off?" he spat on the ground at the last sentence and the surrounding bandits began to chuckle. Shanks just stood calmly, sliding his eyes to the side to stare at the bandit._

_"Would you risk your life?" he asked seriously._

_"…Huh?"_

_"Now that you've drawn your pistol, are you willing to use it?"_

_"What the hell are you talking about?" the man looked at Shanks as if the pirate captain was a nutcase._

_"I'm saying that guns are not for threats. They're for action." Before the Bandit could answer him Lucky Roo appeared, his own gun drawn and shot the Bandit in the head, killing him instantly his free hand still holding a leg of meat. Makino, the mayor, and Luffy gasped in surprise and horror at the fact that the man was dead and Luffy was awestruck that no one had seen Lucky Roo move. The Bandits seethed and shouted at the sudden attack._

_"You…You're dead men!"_

_"These guys fight dirty!"_

_"Dirty? Who do you guys think we are anyway?" Yasopp scoffed placing his gun over his shoulder._

_"What, you guys think we're a bunch of saints or something?" Benn chuckled._

_"You guys are dealing with a real group of Pirates so let me tell you something Bandits. You can spray me with alcohol or douse me with food; hell if I get spit on, I'll just laugh it off but… I won't forgive anyone who hurts a friend of mine, that's where I draw the line!" said Shanks, his voice going dark with anger. Luffy couldn't believe it, that Shanks would risk his life for his Crew and for her. She felt tears coming on but quickly blinked them back, she needed to be strong for Shanks._

_"HAHAHA, won't forgive me?! HAHA lousy Pirates KILL THEM ALL MEN!" Higuma yelled with a chuckle. The bandits charged at the Pirates with their swords ready, screaming the whole way. Benn stepped up next to Shanks and turned to look at his captain._

"_Let me deal with this captain. I've got it." Without even breaking a sweat, Benn charged forward and used his rifle like a club, knocking out any bandit who got too close to him. In only a matter of seconds, Benn was the only one left standing, idly smoking a cigarette. "Don't overestimate yourselves, bandits." He muttered quietly. "You want to fight us? Bring at least a warship."_

_Higuma was shocked to see that his men had all been beaten by one guy, he had never seen such strength in a human before. Luffy just stared on in shock, barely recognizing the laughing, joking people she had made friends with._

_"Wait, please it was a kid who started it!" Higuma panicked._

_"Didn't you say you're a wanted man with eight million Berri on your head?" Shanks countered coldly. Higuma flinched and then he threw a smoke screen bomb on the ground, causing the pirates to cover their eyes with a curse. When the smoke finally cleared, Higuma was nowhere in sight and Luffy was gone too_

_"Luffyko! oh no I let that guy take her! What are we gonna do?" Shanks panicked, looking around quickly._

_"Captain, calm down. Let's not freak out and let's find her!" Lucky Roo interrupted, trying to calm his Captain. Everyone spread out to cover more ground and Shanks sent out a silent prayer that nothing happened to the little girl he saw as a daughter._

* * *

_In the middle of the ocean, Higuma had made a clean getaway, stolen a small boat and captured Luffy as his hostage. He now stood in the boat, pointing his blade threateningly at Luffy, who was curled on the other side of the boat._

_"Haha, your friends will never find me here." Higuma laughed, taunting her._

_"Damn it! Stay the hell away from me, you dumb-ass idiot! I really hope you die," said Luffy._

_"Heh, yes, I know but now you're the one who's gonna die. I told you what would happen when you made me angry." he walked slowly forward so the boat wouldn't flip, ready to kill the girl. Luffy had no idea what to do now, she didn't want to die, she had so much to do, so much to live for. She had a dream that needed to be fulfilled, she couldn't die now, she just couldn't. Once Higuma got close to her, he lifted his sword with a menacing look on his face prepared to strike her down. Luffy screamed, her eyes closing, and tried to throw herself backwards, away from the sword, and ended up tumbling off the back of the boat and into the water. _

_She tried to stay afloat but it was like her own body was pulling her down. She felt herself getting tired and was barely able to keep her head above the water. A loud splash echoed in front of her and she cracked open her eyes to see the large sea-king, guardian of the island, staring down at Higuma's tiny boat as if seeing a snack. Luffy tried to yell but she only ended up swallowing more sea-water and could only watch helplessly as Higuma turned around in time to see the monster's large jaws close around him._

_Then the monster turned its eyes to Luffy, watching the half-conscious girl curiously before charging towards her. She let out one last scream and suddenly, a large arm was there, pulling her back against a warm chest._

"_GET LOST," Shanks hissed darkly, glaring at the giant sea king. Luffy watched in shock as the sea king's eyes widened before the giant eel like creature dove back into the water and began to swim away. Shanks sighed with relief and shifted his one-arm hold on Luffy, pulling her closer against him. She clutched at the pirate's shirt, sobbing, afraid that if she let go, Shanks would disappear._

_"Thank you Luffy. Makino told us how you stuck up for us at the bar. I'm so proud of you, willing to stick up for your friends and put yourself on the line." Shanks spoke softly trying to reassure the small girl but it only resulted in more tears._

_"Hey, don't cry, you're a big girl now."_

_"But Shanks" She sobbed. "YOUR ARM!" Shanks' left arm was completely gone, bitten off by the sea king that had tried to eat her. Because of her, he would never use his left arm again, because of her, Shanks was hurt! Guilt, sorrow, and grief overtook her. "I'M SORRY!" She cried. _

_"Lu-, sweetheart, its just an arm. I've got another one, I'm just glad you're all right" he smiled sadly, as she continue to cry. 'Thank god,' he thought, closing his eyes with relief. 'Thank god I made it in time.'_

_After what felt like hours floating there, Shanks heard the sounds of rowing and cracked his eyes open to see Benn quickly making his way towards them, a relieved expression on his face._

"_What took you so long?" Shanks joked, passing a now unconscious Luffy up to his first mate before using his one remaining arm to pull himself ungracefully into the small boat. Benn's eyes widened in shock at the blood dripping from Shanks' body but he didn't say anything, just sat Shanks up in the boat and began to paddle back to shore._

"_Benn..." Shanks whispered, holding out his arm towards his first mate. Benn nodded in understanding and quickly handed over the little girl resting in his lap, setting her gently in Shanks' embrace._

"_She's ok, captain. Just exhausted. We need to get __**you**__ looked at!"_

"_I'll be fine," Shanks chuckled, placing a soft kiss on Luffy's head. "I'm just glad I made it in time."_

* * *

_After a week of rest and recuperation, Shanks had begun to make a full recovery. Little Luffyko had been with him every step of the way, refusing to leave the pirate captain for very long. Shanks had begun to tease her again and before long, it was time for them to set out again._

_The next day, the Townsfolk watched as Shanks' crew loaded the last of their new supplies on their ship, laughing and singing with each other. They bid the townsfolk farewell and were wished a safe trip in return. Shanks was the last to board the ship, kneeling on the harbor in front of Luffy, smiling as she tried to fight back a pout._

_"So you're leaving?" Luffy sighed._

_"Yeah, it was a nice extended vacation, but it's time to part ways. I bet you'll miss me, huh?" He teased. Shanks still wore his usual clothing but had added a black cape to hide his missing arm._

_"Yeah, but this time it's different! I won't beg you to take me with you cause I'm going to be a Pirate all on my own." Luffy declared pointing her finger at Shanks. The red haired pirate stuck out his tongue, mocking her like a child would._

_"I wouldn't take you with me anyway; you'll never make it as a Pirate." Deep down though he was happy; even after all that had happened, his little girl was still the same._

_"No, I will make it as a Pirate," She shouted. "I'll gather the most strongest Crew that's better than yours! And I'll find the greatest treasure of them all, the One Piece, and I'll be the first ever QUEEN OF THE PIRATES!" Most of the crew stopped their jobs to stare at the small 7 year old girl in shock. It was her craziest declaration yet, but it was also her most profound one._

_"Heh, you think you can outshine us?" said Shanks raising one of his eyebrow. Luffy stared at the ground, embarrassed, refusing to look up at her role model, and then Shanks removed his hat and plopped it gently on her head._

_"In that case, I'll leave this hat to you. It means more to me than anything in the world so you better take good care of it, you hear me?" He tilted the brim down over her face to hide his own watering eyes and stood up before turning to walk towards his ship. Luffy stood there in shock, Shanks had given her his favorite hat, she was honored and happy and sad at the same time. 'I won't let you down Shanks!' she thought._

_After they finally finished packing, Shanks gave the order to unfurl the sails and ship of the Red Hair Pirates began to sail away. The villagers stood on the dock, waving goodbye until the ship was out of sight._

_Luffy stood next to Makino, clutching the straw hat to her chest and waving to Shanks, tears flowing freely down her cheeks as she remembered his last sentence to her._

_"I want you to bring this hat back to me someday, in good condition, and only once you've become the Queen of the pirates. That's our promise, Lu."_

*_End Flashback_*

As she finished her story, Luffy smiled, a bright, happy smile that had Zoro staring at the young woman. She took her hat off with one hand and stared at it fondly, remembering her promise to her role model, her idol, her inspiration, her…Father-figure.

"Hey, Luffy, don't drop that again if it's so important," Zoro huffed crossing his arms over his chest and and looking away from his new captain. She smiled at him and placed it back on her head with a laugh.

"It is, thank you again Zoro."

"Ugh, I'm so hungry it's killing me," he groaned for what had to be the hundredth time, ignoring Luffy's praise, it was just his job, after all. She laughed and leaned her head back to stare up at the blue sky before blinking.

"I think that's a bird up there. Maybe I can catch it."

"Go for it, captain." Zoro encouraged, not really paying attention. With a nod, Luffy hooked her hands onto the wooden poles at the top of the sail.

"Gum Gum Rocket!" She launched upwards towards the bird and for a moment it looked like she had caught it, but then Zoro looked closer and saw that the bird had grabbed her tightly in one of its claws and was quickly carrying her off. "Ahh! ZORO! Help!"

…

…

…

"WHAT THE HELL?! GET BACK HERE YOU OVERGROWN BIRD BRAIN AND GIVE ME BACK _MY_ CAPTAIN!" he rowed as quickly as his arms would allow him, trying to catch up with the bird, not realizing the statement he had just made.

In the middle of nowhere, the Tightrope Walking Funan Bros that has been tricked by the orange haired girl had been drifting for a long while with no end in sight when they suddenly spotted a small boat heading their way.

"HEY, WAIT, OVER HERE! MEN OVER BOARD! MEN OVER BOARD!" One shouted, waving his arms.

"Great, that just what I need" Zoro sighed, not slowing in his rowing. "I CAN'T STOP NOW! YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO JUMP IN!" He yelled back, continuing his journey. The three quickly grabbed on before he could ram them, trying to pull themselves up against the harsh current.

"Wow, I'm impressed that you made on board," he muttered under his breath.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US?!" they yelled at him together and then one of them stood up, drawing his sword and pointing it at the green haired man.

"Stop the boat; we're members of Buggy the Pirate's crew so the boat is ours now!"

_**Bonk**_

_**Bang**_

_**Blow**_…

"Hehehehe! we're sorry!" One of the pirates bowed to Zoro while the other two sat behind him, rowing the boat. They all had sizable lumps on their heads from where Zoro had easily beaten them and were now rowing the boat as an apology."We had no idea you were the great Pirate Hunter Zoro, please don't kill us."

"Great," Zoro hissed. "Thanks to you three idiots, I lost sight of her."

"Oh, I didn't know you had a girlfriend Mr. Roronoa, sir."

"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND, YOU MORONS!" Zoro yelled with a look that could frighten Sea Kings…a tiny blush crossed his face, but despite that he still looked menacing.

"Y-y-yes, sir" they stuttered in fright. Zoro looked up at the sky to see if he could spot Luffy and the bird anywhere but knowing her, she'd probably try to pull something off as soon as she saw land. He silently hoped she was alright, then mentally slapped himself for thinking so…mushy.

He distantly heard the three idiots talking about some girl that tricked them and stole their boat and treasure. In his mind that made them more than idiots. To be fooled by such a lame trick, then he heard them mention Captain Buggy.

"Huh, so who's this Buggy person?" Zoro asked.

"EH, you've never heard of Buggy the Clown?!" the three yelled, shocked that the famous East-Blue hunter had never heard of Buggy.

"Uhhh, nope" Zoro answered in uncaring tone. To him, that had to be the most ridiculous name he had ever heard. Buggy the Clown; what kind of pirates name is that? Then one of the pirates replied.

"He is the most ruthless pirate in the East-Blue. No one in their right mind would dare go against him and he's eaten one of the Devil Fruits! Above everything else he is truly one terrifying man."

* * *

In Orange Town, a once peaceful town on an East-Blue island, things were hectic. Buggy the Clown had recently caused havoc in the town, wrecking buildings and taking control of the main streets. The civilians had been forced to flee to the other side of the island because they were too weak to stand against the pirates.

The streets were quiet for the moment, until a mysteries and familiar girl slid around a corner, running from her life from a group of three men dressed like circus performers.

"Give us back or else," One shouted, raising his sword angrily.

"We just stole that and now this girl stole it from us," Another whined. "She's gonna pay." The girl spared a glance back and grinned smugly, feeling the chart of the Grand Line pressed securely against her stomach, under her shirt. It had almost been too easy, now she just had to get away from these guys.

"If we don't get that Chart back our Captain won't be too happy."

"Yeah, he'll kill us with his Devil Fruit powers!"

* * *

On top of the town hall building, there was a large tent with Buggy's flag on top. Inside sat Captain Buggy, hiding himself from plain sight and silently waiting for the crew he had sent out to recover his Chart. He appeared calm on the outside but those who knew him could see that he was seething with anger.

"Captain Buggy, I spotted something high in the sky above the port," one of his crew spoke when he spotted a giant bird thing in the distance.

"Well, shoot it down."

* * *

The girl continued to run, still finding no opportunity to lose the three pirates when a powerful explosion from one of Buggy's cannons echoed through the streets. The girl and her pursuers all stopped to look up, wondering what the cannon was shooting at. There seemed to be something, no, someone in the sky falling right towards them. As the figure got closer they could tell it was a girl.

"AAHHHHHH! ZORO!" She screamed as she fell. She landed with a loud BANG on a pile of crates near Nami, causing smoke and debris to surround them all.

"What the hell was that!" the girl asked in surprise.

"Is that…a girl fell out from the sky…" one of the Pirates said uncertainly.

"Don't be stupid, that's impossible," another hissed.

"Damn it, why does this always happen to me?" As the smoke cleared, the orangette and the Pirates gasped in surprise to see that it had actually been a girl that fell out of the sky. A young and pretty girl who climbed easily out of the rubble and brushed away dust from her hair and clothes.

"That was AWESOME!" She laughed, stretching her arms above her head. "Huh? I wonder what happened to Zoro?"

* * *

End of Chapter 4

What did you guys think of the flashback? Really looking forward to Buggy's chapter next along with the whole confrontation with Luffy in the cage.

Here's a little excerpt from it because I honestly can't resist -

_"But I'm interested though. Killing you would boost up my reputation." Buggy tone suggested he was confident that he could take down Zoro. Luffy frowned at that, she knew Zoro couldn't be beaten that easily. _

_"If you try, you'll die." Nami shivered at Zoro's look and at the dangerous edge to his voice when he addressed Buggy. She was thankful that the swordsman didn't know that she had been the one to let his captain get captured. She didn't want that anger directed at herself._

Hope you're looking forward to it and don't forget to review.

See you guys tommorow!


	5. The Circus Comes to Orange Town

This is **not** completely my story. I have changed and added parts from various other One Piece Fem!Luffy and Luffy x Zoro stories to create a full one.

Starting this chapter I have started heavily editing and have incorporated much of my own writing. There are still parts from the other fanfictions but I haven't copied and pasted or anything like that. A lot of it is straight from me and just follows parts of the fanfictions or incorporates conversations.

Shirani-Chan – You are the best person ever! Your review made me so happy I had to hold myself back from posting the chapter early. I hope you continue to enjoy this as much as I enjoyed working on it.

The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you)

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

* * *

The Circus Comes to Orange Town

Being a puppet of thoughts of others, my weakness, fate, it does uncover; make the truth to shine some light, the lies prefer, their addictive bright; try to do what others feel, their merciless hearts, similar, steel; being subdued by mental aggravation, your only drive- thirst and desperation; left by yourself with pitiful meal, your closest friends- darkness, starvation….by Nick Korsantia.

* * *

The orangette could hardly believe that the small girl had fallen out of the sky without a scratch. When she stared closer she remembered that this girl had been on Alvida's ship when she was stealing that treasure earlier, talk about coincidence. And then she came up with an idea.

"Man, I'm so hungry" Luffyko moaned rubbing her stomach absently.

"Oh Boss, thank goodness you're here to save me," The orangette pulled out her happy, hopeful look to her 'Boss', while Luffy stared at the girl with confusion and blinked.

"Who are you?" Luffy had no idea that this girl had just pulled her into a bit of predicament and she hadn't yet taken notice of the three Pirates that had been chasing the orangette. They tightened their grip on their swords when she called Luffy, Boss; but before Luffy could repeat her question, the orangette had already made a break for it.

"They're all yours, Boss. Have fun," then she disappeared into the alleyway. Luffyko scratched at the part of her hair visible under her hat in bewilderment, not really understanding what was going on.

"Hey, that girl is getting away," said Pirate #1.

"Don't worry, we got her Boss now," said Pirate #2.

"Yeah, you're right!" The last chuckled before stepping closer to Luffy. "You're in trouble, girlie. You shouldn't have let your crony friend escape." Luffy turned around at the man's words to stare at the 3 really ugly looking Pirates, still confused of what's going on. Suddenly she heard another rumble in her tummy, and she sighed before asking them.

"Do you guys know where I can find a good restaurant? I'm starved."

"Food is least of your worries now," Pirate #1 commented as he darted forward, punching Luffy hard in the face and knocking her hat off of her head. She gasped in shock and raised one hand to her head, the other shooting forward and punching the guy back, knocking him unconscious with one blow. She caught her hat and put it calmly back on her head.

"You idiots better keep your hands off my hat."

"You bitch," the remaining two glared and charged at her, hefting their swords. And as for the orange haired girl, she was climbing quietly up onto the rooftop, wanting to see what had happened to that girl she used to escape.

"I wonder if that girl survived?" She mumbled, feeling a little guilty over leaving her there. Once she reached the edge of the roof though, she gasped in shock. All three of the Buggy goons had been completely knocked down and the raven haired girl was still standing, completely unharmed.

"Wow, you're really strong for a young girl," she said, impressed by the girl that had taken down three pirates all by herself. Luffy glanced up when she heard a voice and spotted the same girl from earlier, leaning over the edge of the rooftop. The orangette jumped down when she noticed the coast was clear and walked up to Luffy.

"Even though they have swords, you managed to beat them up with your bare hands." She hadn't actually seen Luffy fight but it didn't appear that the raven haired girl used any weapons.

"Hey, you're that girl who set me up, who are you?" Her tone didn't sound mad but she tilted her head, curious as to why the girl did that.

"I'm a talented thief who steals strictly from Pirates, the name's Nami." She replied. "Hey, you want to team up with me?"

"A thief? No way," Luffy laughed, sticking out her tongue. With that said she stepped past Nami, glancing around for any signs of somewhere to get something to eat.

"Hey, hold on. At least think about it for one minute." Nami ran after the girl to make her change her mind. Before Nami could open her mouth again, a vicious growl came from Luffy's stomach making them both stop.

"Ooohhh! I'm so hungry~" Luffy groaned, trying to rub her belly in a calming manner, as if reassuring it she would find food soon. Nami felt slightly sorry for the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't you come with me and I'll get you something to eat." She stumbled back slightly in shock when Luffy suddenly jumped and gave Nami her signature D grin.

"Really?! Thank you so much!" She shouted happily and Nami just sighed in exasperation at the weird girl.

* * *

Back at the tent, one unlucky crew member had just delivered the bad news to Captain Buggy. He prayed to his God to spare his soul from his cruel Captain who could easily kill him instantly.

"So you're telling me that those buffoons haven't caught the thief or gotten my map back" Buggy hissed from inside his tent.

"N-not yet, b-b-but they should be here soon with the girl and the map, s-s-sir" said the fat and bearded man.

"Now, explain to me how in the world she managed to get her hands on that chart, huh?" His voice was low with anger and the fat man backed away in fear. He knew how important that chart was, it would get them into the Grand Line without any trouble, but it was stolen and Captain Buggy wasn't so happy about that.

"How are we supposed to go the Grand Line without the Chart in our possession?" The captain's blood was boiling with every minute that passed and he felt like it would burst at any moment if the chart wasn't returned to him soon.

"I don't know, sir. The map was just sitting out, plain as the nose on your face."

"What…did you say?" Buggy cringed, his glare deepening and eyes flashing. The pirate suddenly realized what he just said and quickly tried to come up with reason to save himself.

"I-I-I mean it was easy for her to find and take it." Well, the keyword was 'try'.

"DID YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT MY NOSE?!" Buggy tossed the chair that he had been sitting on and glared heatedly at the man who had mocked him about his nose. He walked out of the tent, finally exposing himself to the bright sunlight. He looked just how people described him, like a clown. He was Buggy the Clown. Even though his name sounded ridiculously stupid he wasn't a clown that played practical jokes, made funny faces or juggled and whatnot. No, Buggy was one of the fiercest pirates with a bounty of fifteen million Berri. Though his clown-like attire and make up could fool you, if he was made fun of in the slightest then he would take his sweet time exacting revenge. He leaned down to glare at the fat man, bringing their faces close and letting their noses touch.

"Are you trying to tell me that you found my nose funny, is my nose amusing?"

"N-n-no sir, you misunderstood."

"Oh no, you were quiet clear." The fat bearded man trembled under the menacing gaze of his Captain. He tried to back away but he only ended up tripping and landing on his butt. He continued to try and escape, wriggling backwards. The rest of the crew were too chicken to help their crew-mate in need because their Captain would kill anyone who tried to interfere.

As the fat man tried to get away he suddenly felt a tight grip wrapping around his throat. His captain was using his Devil power on him and now that he was trapped under Buggy's wrath, he began to choke and gag as the force around his throat continued to tighten. As it became even stronger, he was lifted off the ground and began moving towards Captain Buggy. Buggy smiled menacingly as he approached, he always enjoyed tormenting his own men for fun.

"Tell me who am I" he asked sweetly.

"Cap...tain…Bu...ggy~"

"And what happen if someone defies me?" he asked again.

"Flashy 'ugh' death awaits 'gh' them, please…forgive 'ugh' me" Then Buggy released his power and let him drop to the ground, allowing the pirate to take in deep lungfuls of air and massage his sore throat.

"Quit your groveling. I'll overlook your slip up and forgive you this time." Then he twirled around to walk back to his tent but before that he entered he paused and said.

"But, you better get that chart back. Don't screw up again or else."

"YES, SIR, CAPTAIN BUGGY, SIR!" His crew shouted with a salute to Captain Buggy and quickly spread out to find the girl and the chart.

* * *

Back with Luffy and Nami, in Nami's living room, Luffy was eating a large burger. Bite after bite enjoying the juicy and salty taste while Nami sat on the edge of the table watching her.

"So, do you live in this house all by yourself?" the she-pirate asked before taking another bite of her burger.

"This isn't my house, I'm just staying for the time being. Everyone in this town ran off when Captain Buggy showed up." Nami gestured around her with a sigh.

"Oh…so you're just a petty thief."

"How rude! I only steal from people who deserve it, pirates, so don't compare me to some scum-bag, petty thief," Nami hissed, feeling insulted by Luffy's statement, a girl she barely knew. Luffy swallowed the last bit of her burger and said innocently.

"A thief is thief as far as I'm concerned." Then Nami looked out the window and seriousness swirled in her eyes.

"My goal is to earn a hundred million Berri. No matter how hard it is or how long it takes." Luffy scrutinized Nami carefully, it seemed like a lot of berris for one person but there was something in the girl's eyes that said there was more to the story.

"Hm, why do you need so much money?" Luffy asked.

"That a secret, though with the chart of the Grand Line a hundred million is now a definite possibilities." She waved the chart for Luffy to see before quickly tucking it back under her striped shirt.

"Wait, a chart? So you must be a navigator, right?" she asked.

"I'm the most skilled navigator you're ever likely to meet," Nami said with a smug smile. Luffy smiled brightly and did a small internal dance.

"Oh wow, that's perfect! You should join my crew! I've been looking to recruit a navigator cause I don't know how and Zoro always gets lost."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you could be our newest crew member," she held her arms up in exhilaration, happy at the thought of finally getting a navigator but her smile faded slightly when Nami frowned and said.

"No."

Luffy blinked at Nami, asking her in silent question, and the orangette sighed and continued.

"Let me guess you're a pirate, right?" She spit the word out with distaste but Luffy was completely oblivious to her tone and her D grin returned to her face.

"Yes, I am! I took a solemn promise, I promised the guy who gave me this hat that I would form the best crew and become the first ever Queen of the Pirates!" Luffy took off her hat as she spoke and stared at it reverently. Angry, Nami smacked the table and glared at the younger girl.

"There is nothing in this world that I despise more than Pirates!" She hissed voice rising to a shout. "I only like money and tangerines." Luffy blinked in surprise at the last item…did she say tangerines?

"C'mon. Be our navigator! It'll be fun," she whined, trying to persuade Nami with a smile.

"I said no!" Luffy sighed in resignation.

"It's your loss." She then proceeded to eat the remaining bread buns on the table while Nami watched the town in silence. She spotted two of the Buggy Pirates and quickly hid, turning to listen into their conversation. She overheard them mention her and the stolen chart and also that the entire buggy crew was all over the place, making sure that there was no chance of escape. As they rounded another corner, out of her hearing range, she frowned.

'I gotta think of something and fast' then she looked at Luffy still eating and smirked.

"You know, maybe I will consider joining your crew, but only if you agree with some certain conditions," said Nami faking her smile.

"Really? Alright, I'll do anything."

"Well, then I want you to come with me to pay a visit to Captain Buggy. But first," then she brought out a rope and swiftly tied it around Luffy's chest and torso, tying her hands behind her back as well. Luffy looked at the ropes then back up at Nami.

"Why did you tie me up?"

"The rope is for appearances. It's how Buggy's Crew meets new members." Nami explained thinking up a quick lie.

"Oh okay. C'mon then, I've been looking forward to meeting other Pirates." Luffy began to hum excitedly, rocking back and forth as if she was a child getting her Christmas presents.

"Just hold your horses! I don't know what the big deal is anyway," Nami huffed standing up and beginning to walk towards Buggy's lair, Luffy being dragged behind her.

* * *

"WHAT!" Buggy yelled with so much fury and anger that it shook the ground under him like an earthquake.

"YOU LET THE THIEF ESCAPE!" the three he yelled at were the same goons that had been chasing Nami before being knocked out by Luffy. Now they cowered in fear as their Captain howled above them like an enraged Sea King.

"Please, forgive us, Captain Buggy!" the three begged in unison.

"I have never seen a more pathetic group than you three, TIME TO DIE!" The group screamed helplessly but before Captain Buggy could kill them with his Devil Fruit power, one of his Crew called, say that he had important news.

"What is it now?!" he asked annoyed, wanting to kill the worthless rats, who sighed in relief at the stay of execution.

"The girl that stole our chart is back, but with a prisoner."

"WHAT?" Buggy screeched in disbelief. He turned to stare as the orange haired girl approached his tent, dragging a younger raven haired girl behind her, tied in ropes. Buggy's Crew were confused at the girl's return and wondered who the other girl was, the group that had been chasing Nami got angry that because of her they had almost died at the hands of Buggy the merciless.

"That's her."

"That the sneaky thief that stole the chart!" They were surprised even more when the girl pushed her prisoner onto the ground hard, surprising Luffy and Buggy both. Nami felt vaguely bad for doing that to Luffy but business was business.

"I captured the thief, Captain Buggy the Clown, and here is your chart back." Nami said, calmly holding out the chart.

"Not that I don't appreciate this, but why the sudden change of heart, little girl?" Buggy asked carefully, conscious that she might try to trick him again like last time. Nami handed the chart to Buggy who gladly took it

"I had another fight with my Boss and I just can't take it anymore so I tricked her. I tied her up and have come to join your crew." Nami smiled cheerfully. Buggy's eyes flickered with rage and the crew flinched in terror at the uncontrollable anger on his face.

"Captain Buggy looks madder than before."

"He's going to use his Devil powers."

"Really?!" Luffy was surprised to hear that this clown guy was a devil user like her, and watched curiously as Buggy's anger melted away and he began to laugh loudly.

"You're fed up, huh? I must admit you're an amusing girl. I like you, of course you can join my crew." Then he laughed again. Nami was stunned, she hadn't seen this coming, he was acting like he had completely forgotten that she stole his chart from him. Nevertheless, he had made her a part of his crew right away so her plan had worked and she put on her best fake smile.

'I successfully infiltrated them. Pirates are so dumb and easy to manipulate,' Nami thought disdainfully. Then Buggy ordered the three of his crew who had failed to capture the thief to put Luffy in a cage. So, still tied up, Luffy was thrown in a very small square cage.

"Uh guys, why I am in the cage?" She asked calmly, but she was ignored by Buggy and his crew who were now chuckling evilly with the girl who had became a new member of Buggy Pirates.

"Is a great day to be a pirate. Girl, what do you call yourself?" Buggy asked her.

"I'm Nami."

"HA HAA! Then let's have a welcome party to our new friend, Nami! Let's celebrate!" Buggy threw his hands up gleefully and his crew couldn't deny such a request.

The party started with the biggest feast they had ever seen with hundreds of bottles of Sake to go with it. They ate and drank in very unusual ways; some drank straight from the large barrel, some drank eight mugs of Sake in one go. The same went for food, and then there also performances like those you would see in the circus. Chair dancing, juggling, hand walking, pogo sticking and many more.

"What's wrong?" Buggy asked Nami, handing her a mug. "We're throwing this party in your honor, so eat up!" He commanded

"Thanks for the party, Captain Buggy!" Nami smiled but then her smile turned into a smirk.

'I'll just keep my eyes peeled for a chance to take back my chart and maybe swipe all of Buggy's treasure while I'm at it.' As she formulated her plan in her head, the party continued for who knows how long. Buggy laughed and watched the spectacular party taking place and the look in his eyes was wide and crazy as he thought of a perfect way to make his party more wild.

"This is such a flashy party! Now listen up, men, it's time to prepare the Buggy Ball!" the crew's cheers doubled in volume as they brought out their cannon. They secured the cannon to the ground to keep it at bay and then a small-sized clown pirate who wore a yellow sleeveless shirt and a yellow and purple striped cone hat carried forward Buggy's Buggy Ball. The cannonball was painted in red with Buggy's Jolly Roger engraved on it and the pirate put the cannonball inside the cannon ready and loaded. Nami had no idea what these pirates were up to.

"W-what are you going to do with that thing?" She timidly asked but regretted her question when she saw the sinister look on Buggy's face.

"Just observe and be amazed at the might of the Buggy Ball. Light it," he ordered. The man lit the cannon and aimed it at the…empty houses of Orange Town. Luffy and Nami watched in horror while Captain Buggy and his Crew smiled darkly as the cannon shot the Buggy Ball, destroying twenty houses in a row in a massive explosion.

* * *

At the port, Zoro and the three cronies he had 'rescued' arrived just in time to witness the explosion that destroyed multiple houses in one shot.

"Now that was one heck of an explosion," Zoro whistled, mildly impressed.

"It looks like one of the Captain's beloved Buggy Balls," one of the pirates said.

"Buggy Balls?" he smirked, that was a terrible name.

* * *

Back at Buggy's tent, Captain Buggy and his crew laughed cruelly at the dramatic bang that echoed across the town, signaling that another part of Orange Town had been destroyed. Nami couldn't take her eyes away from the dreadful sight, she had never seen such a powerful blast like that before. With that kind of eruption they could destroy an entire island with only two shots.

"That was flashy! With these Buggy Balls and my devil fruit powers I should have no problem conquering the Grand Line, right Nami?" he asked his new crew mate.

"Uh... oh yes, of course!" Nami knew she did not want to make Captain Buggy mad or he'd probably use her as a target practice for his Buggy Ball.

"Huh, but it's my destiny to conquer the Grand Line!" Luffy yelled from her seat in the cage. Buggy turned around and shot an angry glare at the annoying pest who had disturbed his enjoyment but Luffy wasn't finished yet.

"And then I'm going to be the first Queen of the Pirates!"

"Shut up already, idiot" Nami shouted, slight worry in her tone, and Buggy chuckled.

"I can see why you sick of her, Nami."

"Yeah, I know! She never takes anything seriously, thinks her life is like big game. She's such a kid." The navigator sighed.

"I see…then how about I give you a Buggy Ball to blow away your old boss? It'll be a great opportunity for you to prove your loyalties to your new Captain. Men!" Nami cringed in fright at the disturbing look on Buggy's face. It was that of a mad man and now she was nervous that she would be forced to kill Luffy with that Buggy Ball until the younger girl was nothing but ashes.

The Buggy Pirates moved the cannon and aimed it at Luffy but the raven haired girl didn't look the least bit scared that there was a loaded cannon ready to blast her to oblivion. Nami's mind was racing, she needed to think of something fast before it was too late.

"That alright, Captain! We don't need to finish her off quite yet, let's get back to the welcoming party and have fun instead!" She tried to persuade Buggy, trying to save Luffy, but the look on Buggy's face told her that there was nothing she could do.

"This is my idea of fun!" Buggy said with a crazed look. He gave Nami a match to light up the cannon, and stood back. Nami glanced at the matches in her hand and then back up to where Luffy sat calmly. She didn't know what to do and Buggy's crew was cheering her on which made the matter worse.

'If I don't shoot, I'll be killed…but if I do shoot then I'm no better than these Pirates,' Her mind was racing to find a way to get out of this situation but none of her plans would work now. It was pointless. Luffy stared at Nami blankly, who was sweating and shaking in distress.

"What's the matter? Your hands are shaking," The pirate girl said cockily. Nami glanced down at her hands and then back up to the smirking girl.

"That's what happens when you take on pirates with a half ass resolve." Luffy continued.

"Resolve?! To do what? To kill someone like it's nothing?! Is that the Pirate's resolve?" Nami screamed, clenching her fists.

"No…you gotta be willing to risk your own life," Luffy stated calmly. Nami gasped when she saw the look in her eyes, those eyes that reminded her of… Then someone grabbed the box of matches from her limp hand and she jumped in surprise, seeing one of Buggy's crew members.

"Here, you chick. Don't be such a tease and let me show you how to light the cannon." Before the pirate could light strike the match, Nami had her three part wooden staff that she kept on her right thigh put together turning it into a six foot Bō Staff. She smacked the pirate hard across the face causing him to drop to the ground unconscious. Captain Buggy and his Crew gaped at Nami's actions while Luffy was awed at her fast reflexes.

"Nami~ what is the meaning of this?!" Buggy asked, looking very pissed. Nami quickly realized what she had done and quickly bowed towards Captain Buggy.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," she apologized.

"Now you're sorry?! Just shoot her already," Buggy barked.

"So…now you want to save me?" Luffy was confused at Nami's actions, first Nami betrayed her and now she tried to save her and now she was on his side again, talk about weird.

"Don't be stupid, I'm not doing this for you, you idiot! I just don't want to lower myself to the level of inhumane Pirates! Pirates took the life of a very dear person from me and I'll never be one of them!" her voice wavered as if she was about to cry.

"Oh, I see." Then Luffy heard something hissing, and she looked up to see that the cannon had been lit up by the pirate before Nami had knocked him out.

"AAHHH! Nami, the fuse!" Nami turned to see that the fuse had indeed been lit.

"So you think Pirates are inhuman filth, is that right? GET HER MEN!" Four of Buggy's crew rushed in with their blades ready. Nami saw it and quickly swung her Bō Staff to hit them but the four jumped and tried to strike with their swords again. But Nami was too quick and blocked their attacks, then she threw her Staff at the Pirates and turned to sprint to the cannon.

Nami panicked slightly, she didn't have water to douse the fuse so she had to come up with a different method. She grabbed the fuse with both hands, hissing in pain as it burned her palm but she refused to let go until the flame had gone out.

Luffy couldn't believe that Nami had endangered her hands to save her and still hadn't let go. She was very daring. Nami hung onto the fuse until the flame had finally died down before sighing in relief and letting her hands drop. 'I did it.'

"NAMI, LOOK OUT! BEHIND YOU!" She heard Luffy's alarmed yell and turned to see a group of pirates charging her with swords. She closed her eyes waiting for death, her arms rising futilely to protect her. When no pain came she cracked open her eyes hesitantly to see a man with shocking green hair had stopped them by using the sheaths of two of his swords.

"Hey now, it's not nice of you guys to gang up on a defenseless girl." Even without the hair, Luffy would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Zoro!" she exclaimed happily. Nami stared at Zoro, seeing the swordsman almost perk up at the sound of his name but he didn't smile. He just turned a glaring face towards Nami.

"Are you hurt?" Zoro asked.

"Eh?"

"I said, are you hurt?"

"N-no I'm fine, I think." Nami answered. Zoro nodded before pushing the pirates away and turning to look at Luffy. Nami saw Zoro's expression soften when he saw Luffy grinning at him, a mix of relief, anger, and mild irritation crossing his features.

"That's just great." He sighed, hiding the relief he felt at seeing her alive. "First a giant bird snatched you and now you're in a cage. How did you get yourself in this situation?" He felt that he had a right to get irritated with her, she was always charging headfirst into things like this.

"Shihehehehe yeah, this is an interesting story actually." The girl chuckled happily, excitement at the possibility of seeing Zoro fight rising in her. As the duo spoke to each other, the pirates began to quiver at the mention of his name and the iconic bandana wrapped around his arm.

"Wait, that's…"

"Yeah, that's him. The great bounty hunter of the East Blue, Roronoa Zoro."

'The Crew that she mentioned earlier was…the Pirate Hunter, Zoro? What's going on here?' Nami never would have imagined that Zoro was Luffy's crew member, that didn't make any sense at all. Why would a pirate hunter work under the command of a female pirate captain?

Zoro didn't have time to deal with this, and frankly, he didn't want to, so he ignored the pirates around him and began to make his way over to Luffy's cage, intending to set her free. He had taken 3 steps when suddenly Captain Buggy spoke.

"So…you're the Roronoa Zoro that I've heard so much about. If you're here for my head, you've got quite a struggle before you."

"No, not interested. I gave up pirate hunting, I'm just here for the girl," Zoro replied in a bored tone.

"But I'm interested though. Killing you would boost up my reputation." Buggy's tone suggested he was confident that he could take down Zoro. Luffy frowned at that, she knew Zoro couldn't be beaten that easily, she had seen her first mate fight and knew that she still hadn't seen his best yet. If he could defeat Captain Morgan with little effort she didn't think that this clown guy stood much of a chance.

"If you try, you'll die." Nami shivered at Zoro's look and at the dangerous edge to his voice when he addressed Buggy. They called him the Demon of East Blue and the ice in his gaze made her think that the rumors were, for once, right. She was immensely thankful that the swordsman didn't know that she had been the one to let his captain get captured. She didn't want that anger directed at herself. Buggy, however, ignored the threat in his eyes and voice and drew ten daggers out, eight daggers in both hands between each finger and two attached to the ends of his shoes.

"Oh, is that so?" Buggy taunted. Zoro sighed, this guy was getting to be annoying.

"I tried to warn you but oh well." the Buggy crew cheered on their captain, believing that he could win, and Buggy licked one of his blades as Zoro put his Wado Ichimonji between his teeth and readied his other two swords. Nami and Luffy watched from the sidelines, both staring intently at the two fighters but Luffy knew Zoro. Her swordsman was the best and he could beat that stupid clown easily. She was actually a little disappointed that she wouldn't get to watch him fight for real.

Zoro and Buggy faced each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally, Buggy charged forward, tired of waiting, and Zoro grinned. He had been waiting for the right moment to strike.

"DIIIEEE!" Before Buggy could lay a scratch on him, Zoro had leapt from the ground and sliced straight through Buggy, cutting him in half. Nami turned away from the gruesome sight of what was left of Buggy as Zoro put his swords back in their sheathes.

"That wasn't much of fight now, was it?" He grumbled.

"Oh wow, he's weak. Way to go, Zoro!" Luffy cheered, awkwardly clapping her hands together despite the ropes wrapped around her wrists and arms.

"Incredible" Nami breathed, and then all of a sudden Buggy's crew started to laugh.

"Hey, why are they laughing?" asked Luffy, seemingly confused at the crew's actions.

"Their Captain is lying dead on the ground and yet they're still laughing, what's going on?" said Nami, slight disgust in her tone. "Hey, what's so funny anyway?"

Unknown to Zoro, one of the dead Buggy's hands had risen, independent of its body and had surged forward, one knife grasped in it. It stabbed Zoro through the back, on his right side, missing anything vital but causing a lot of pain. He let out a cry of pain as blood soaked through his shirt and down his haramaki and he dropped to one knee in pain.

"ZORO!" Luffy cried, struggling against the ropes holding her. Nami turned around and was shocked to see Buggy's hand and the rest of his body parts that had been cut off by Zoro were moving on their own.

"Buggy's still alive?!" Then the hand that held the dagger pulled back out making Zoro wince as the knife was removed from his side.

"W-what the h-hell?!" He snarled, turning his head to watch as Buggy stood up, slowly reattaching his limbs to his body.

"The Chop-Chop Fruit, it's the name of the Devil Fruit that I ate. I'm Chop-Chop person and I can't be defeated by swords! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed with glee and did a small victory dance as he rose.

"His limbs reattached themselves? I always thought that devil fruits were just a story that pirates told." Nami was stunned to see a real-life devil fruit power, and Luffy clenched her teeth together, feeling her anger rise.

"I didn't hit any vital origins but that's a serious wound you got there so I'm guessing that I'm the winner." Buggy laughed again along with his crew and Zoro winced at another surge of pain shot through his right side. He shut his eyes and tried to breathe through the pain, one hand putting pressure against the wound.

'Oh crap, if we don't do something quick they'll go and kill all three of us,' Nami thought, eyes darting around the rooftop.

"I let my guard down, that was a stupid mistake." Luffy's glare deepened at Zoro's confession. He did nothing wrong. She was mad at the pirates for laughing at Zoro, at Buggy for tricking him, and most of all for hurting him. She clenched her hands tightly as her anger finally boiled over and she screamed.

"STABBING HIM IN THE BACK WAS A COWERDLY MOVE, YOU BIG NOSE!" Everything went silent, Nami froze, angry at the stupid girl who had just called him the worst insult possible, and the crew around her just gasped in shock.

"What the…you said... WHO'S GOT A BIG NOSE?!" Buggy turned towards Luffy and threw the knife he still held in his hand.

"LUFFY!" Zoro yelled, forgetting the pain as he tried to stand but it was too late, the knife was already thrown and he was too far away to do anything but watch. It went between the bars and seemed to slam right into her head, forcing her back. Zoro watched the cage, the hand against his wound tightening with worry. It couldn't have hit her, right? She had to have dodged that.

Suddenly Luffy sat back up the blade of the knife held between her teeth. She didn't look to be injured at all and everyone was awestruck at the reflexes she had to have to catch something moving that fast without taking any damage. She glanced up from under her hat, and smirked at Buggy.

"Hey, Buggy. I'm going to kick your ass right now!"

"HAHAHAHAHA! You? Kick my ass?! Strong words for a little girl, but no, I'm afraid all three of you are going to die here today by my own hands. So if you're going to do any ass kicking, you better do it soon HAHAHAHA!" Buggy continued to laugh at Luffy's strong words.

'Damn it, if I wasn't in this condition I would give this guy a piece of my mind. He's too full of himself.' Zoro silently cursed the clown captain for underestimating Luffy. The small captain let the knife drop from her mouth before bending her head back and laughing. Buggy and his crew stopped their laughing, watching the raven-haired girl, some wondering if she had cracked.

"I refuse to die! Zoro, run," Luffy ordered.

"What?" Zoro stared at the girl like she was insane. He wouldn't leave her here.

"You better have a really good plan or else we're all dead, so what are you guys going to do?" Nami exclaimed. Luffy turned to stare at Zoro and smiled at him, communicating a silent message to which he replied with an arched brow. He smirked as she nodded, even without words he knew almost instinctively what her plan was.

"I gotcha," He said while Nami just stared between the two of them with dismay.

'Nothing makes sense anymore. This is why I hate Pirates.'

"You fools, time to die!" Buggy charged Zoro again, but the swordsman quickly unsheathed his swords and deflected the hits. He continued to repel every one of Buggy's strikes, but Buggy just smirked, thinking he had the upper hand. Suddenly, Zoro dove forward to slice him, missing when Buggy split his body in half to evade Zoro's strike.

"Your Three Sword Style has no effect on me, I…" Buggy didn't finish as Zoro continued to run past him and towards the cannon, completely ignoring the pirate clown.

"Hey! Listen when I'm talking to you!" Before Buggy could chase after him, Zoro ducked under the cannon and began to push it, attempting to flip it over. The injury on his side spurted blood as he struggled and with a grunt of exertion he managed to move the cannon so that it was now pointing towards Buggy and his crew, who let out unmanly shrieks of dismay.

"Hurry, light it," he ordered Nami, panting slightly.

"What?"

"Do it now!" Nami nodded, understanding Luffy's plan now, and quickly found a match lying on the ground.

"WAIT! THIS CANNON IS LOADED WITH THE BUGGY BALL! I CAN'T DIE BY MY OWN BALL!" But his yell reached deaf ears as Nami lit the cannon once more, this time at Buggy, and Luffy snickered at the scared expression on the infamous Buggy the Clown's face.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST DID THAT, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE GIRL! WAIT, NONONO! STOP! STOP IT NOW!" As he shouted in terror, his arms waving wildly in front of his face, the fuse reached its peak and the cannon fired, blasting Buggy and his Crew off of the roof and out into the city.

It wasn't until after the echoing explosion of the Buggy ball aimed at Buggy himself had receded did Nami shake herself out of her stupor and uncover her ears. She turned to scan the area for Zoro and was shocked to find that instead of taking cover like she had when the Buggy cannon had gone off, he had rushed straight for the cage Luffy had been encased in, and was now on his knees against the bars, talking softly with the girl within.

Staring at them, Nami cautiously pushed herself to her feet and after swiftly looking at the unconscious wreck of Buggy's crew and reassuring herself that they would not be getting up anytime soon, made her way over to Luffy's cage.

"-Are you sure?" She heard Zoro urgently mutter at the raven haired girl as he used the knife Buggy had thrown at her to cut the ropes. Luffy just answered with a cheerful nod and a 'Yosh!' as the binds holding her hands came undone and she shook her numb hands with a grin.

Finally reaching them, Nami made it just in time to watch as Zoro shoved his hands through the bars and grabbed Luffy's wrists, pulling the younger girl's body forward so he could examine her thoroughly. As Zoro lifted Luffy's arms robotically and trailed his fingers down them, Luffy giggled.

"Zoorrrrooo," she whined, pulling one of her hands away. "That tickles!"

Zoro, finally sure that Luffy hadn't been wrongly hurt in his absence, shook his head and sighed in relief, a small grin making its way to his face as he dropped Luffy's arms and reached out further to gently rest his hand against her head. "Just making sure," he answered ruefully.

"But, Zoro!" Luffy shot back. "You're much more hurt than me! You gonna be okay?" Her eyes darted over him in her own form of examination, pausing to stare at his injury with a frown.

Zoro grinned at Luffy, ruffling the girl's untidy hair, causing her to let out an automatic protest and lean away. "It's just a flesh wound," he passed it off easily. "Bit of sleep later and I'll be fine." He gave Luffy a charming smile, one she had no trouble believing in.

"Shishishishishi," Luffy giggled again, before leaning forward and pecking the swordsman on his nose causing the older man to blush slightly. He pulled Luffy's hat over her face and turned away with a huff, embarrassed.

Nami suddenly had the feeling she was intruding on something private, and that if she was caught intruding on it, Zoro would personally kill her. Clamping her mouth shut to prevent the hysterical yelling she had been about to unleash, she turned her head away and sighed.

"Uh, you two psychos…" she prodded, still staring intently at Buggy's pathetic and out for the count crew, her hands on her hips. "Hello? Buggy's crew? Buggy? Will awaken at any minute, yeah?"

At this, the two finally noticed her presence, and while Luffy turned to her with a grin as wide and cheerful as ever, Zoro regarded her with a suspicious and closed look of dislike. Nami immediately felt herself bristling at that look. She often used a similar look to clearly tell men where they stood with her and where they should stick it. To have such a look thrown so casually at her first -oh, she wasn't going to like this guy. At all. Didn't he have any respect for women?

"Who's this?" Zoro asked rudely, staring at her as if assessing an enemy.

"That's Nami!" Luffy answered eagerly, reaching through the bars to latch onto Zoro's arm and shake the older man excitedly. "She's going to be our navigator!"

At this, Nami stiffened angrily. "Who says?" She sniffed haughtily. "I already told you kid- I _hate _pirates!"

Luffy looked put out and slightly annoyed. "But I'm saying," she answered, as if that was all that mattered. Zoro started chuckling, glancing at Nami's infuriated glare with amusement. "Yeah, didn't you hear her?" he let out, grinning. "_Luffy _says."

Nami actually stamped her foot, only slightly, before huffing. "You two are impossible!" She accused. "First you're all so happy and casual about Buggy- an extremely dangerous pirate captain- then you're all crazy and ready to fight- even after you've sustained serious injuries- and now this! Acting like children!"

"Yeah, whatever," Zoro answered uninterested, turning away from her to start examining the cage for a way out. Luffy was completely preoccupied, humming her own little tune as she watched Zoro feel the cage bars. "I've already tried that!" She offered Zoro helpfully, answering the half-formed and unspoken idea in his head. "But maybe with your swords…"

Zoro shook his head with a grunt of frustration. "With this injury, I don't have as much strength behind my swing," he ground out, sounding ashamed. "I won't be able to cut the bars like this."

Nami shook her head at the two of them and glanced over at the unconscious Buggy. She should really grab what she could and get out of here now. It was how she did things; how she survived. But, Luffy had really helped her… twice… She couldn't just leave the girl and her green-headed buffoon here to die.

Setting off with determined strides, the arguing of Luffy and Zoro faded behind her as she made her way toward Buggy. It only took her a few minutes to pilfer his collection of brass keys and figure out which one matched the cage's iron signature.

By the time she trotted away from Buggy smugly, key in hand, Zoro had picked up the cage with Luffy in it and was now making his way down the hill. Nami's steps faltered, and her mouth fell open, key completely forgotten. "Holy crap…" She muttered to herself, before taking off after the two insane pirates.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, finally catching up to them, shocked at the amount of distance Zoro had covered in the short amount of time she had been away, especially with injuries like his.

"I'm milking the cows," Zoro grunted sarcastically at her, shifting the cage awkwardly as he took another hard step. Luffy, who had drifted into a somewhat out-of-it daze, snapped to attention at the sound of Zoro's voice. "Huh? Cows?" She questioned, glancing around. "Where? I just had a really good burger earlier. We need to get you some food too, Zoro!"

Zoro stumbled another few steps, pausing to catch his breath. "Sure, captain," he said with a short grin that he aimed up at Luffy. "We'll have a big feast after all this."

"Sweet!"

"Are you crazy?" Nami tried again, shock driving her for an answer to his ridiculous and damaging behavior. "You'll kill yourself trying to lug that thing all the way through town!"

Zoro gave her a bland, annoyed look that clearly said _bullshit_. "There was no way I was gonna leave Luffy up there with those creeps," he spat out, struggling onwards. Nami slowed to a stop at that, finding it almost too hard to believe. Just how long had these two known each other? To go that far for the other, no questions asked…

She found herself remembering that one moment in the fight, when Luffy had called out to the staggering, bleeding Zoro, and with one connected, knowing look, Zoro had gained reassurance, strength, confidence, and had known exactly what to do. Nami found herself marveling at their connection. It was… truly something beautiful. Something neither of them seemed to consciously notice yet still held close, as if protecting it.

What… what kind of fricken pirates were these strange two?

* * *

Another chapter down. Phew, this is going by fast but I am loving every minute of it!

I actually saw a picture of Viking Zoro on the cover of ch 466 and I got a new idea for a fanfiction in my head. I have already written an entire chapter for it while I should have been editing my other stuff. It's an AU takes place in viking-ish times in which Zoro is the leader of his ship crew and they are raiding a village and he encounters Fem!Luffy, who is the village seer and kidnaps her and takes her back to his country/town of which Mihawk is the leader. Kohza, Vivi, Saga, Makino, Ace, Sabo, have already made some sort of appearance in what I've started so I think it will be interesting.

It will be a short story, probably no more than 10 chapters and I hope to have the first up by Christmas, now that finals are over.

Tell me if it sounds like an interesting idea.

Til tomorrow!


	6. Desperate Situation

Phew. Running a bit behind on the post today. Sorry guys! I spent a lot of time going over this chapter, wanting to make sure it was perfect and I think I got it as good as its gonna get.

Thank you to all who have followed or favorited this story. Your support means the world to me. A special shout out to Pen-Woman, from who I have borrowed bits of the story. I am honored by the follow and I hope I live up to your expectations.

Shirani-Chan - Your reviews continue to make my day. Hope you like the new chapter.

This is **not** completely my story. I have changed and added parts from various other One Piece Fem!Luffy and Luffy x Zoro stories to create a full one.

Starting this chapter I have started heavily editing and have incorporated much of my own writing. There are still parts from the other fanfictions but I haven't copied and pasted or anything like that. A lot of it is straight from me and just follows parts of the fanfictions or incorporates conversations.

The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you)

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

* * *

Desperate Situation! Beast Tamer Mohji vs. Luffy

The Treasure of Life, life is a journey. A journey of time where a heart needs another to give it a shine, we're all on a journey with two paths to take, one that is right and the one that can break, with many a setback, we'll find hard to bear, it's love and true friendship that will help us to care for a heart that is lonely, can fill up with strain like a plant that can wither without sun and rain so together when sharing, surely we'll find, it's the treasure of life that can give peace of mind…by Olive Walters.

* * *

Captain Buggy sat up slowly, his body aching from the force with which he hit the cement ground. Somehow he had survived the blast from his own cannon, however, he was furious that the no good Pirate Hunter Zoro had the gall to try and humiliate him. HIM! And those two girls were just as guilty, the witch, Nami, and that raven-haired idiot.

"Those three think they can mock me?! Screw that, I consider that act of aggression as a declaration of war!" He was muttering quietly to himself, planning all the ways he could drag out their deaths and make them flashy at the same time. A giant paw appeared in front of him and the clown pirate looked up before smirked gleefully, his first mate had arrived.

"There you are, Mohji." Standing in front of him was a man with strangest looking hairstyle. It almost resembled a white polar bear and wrapped completely around his face. It was made even more lifelike by a pair of white bear ears and he sat atop an enormous Lion. He was known as Mohji the Beast Tamer, second-in-command of the Buggy Pirates.

"I hope you won't mind if I take the Pirate Hunter's head," said Mohji gruffly.

"Hehehe, be my guest."

* * *

Zoro continued to lug the cage carrying Luffy until he could no longer see the tent that had housed Buggy and his pirates. The orange haired girl who had helped them followed a few steps behind, nagging him the whole way. He wanted to continue going, to get as far away from that rooftop as he could, but suddenly his arms gave out and the cage dropped to the ground with a clang, startling Luffy who let out a small yelp of surprise. Zoro collapsed next to her on his back, gasping as the pain in his side increased.

"Zoro! Are you ok?" Luffy asked worriedly, crawling across the small space in her cage to place a hand reassuringly on the swordsman's chest.

"Fine, Lu."

"No you're not!" Nami hissed standing over the two of them. "What were you thinking, lugging that heavy cage through town with that injury?! Your guts could have popped out your side."

"So let them!" Zoro hissed, fed up with her bickering. There had been no other option.

"Don't worry Nami," Luffy soothed, grinning as she remembered something. "I've got some medicinal cream. That should stop the bleeding!" She started to rummage through her pockets, looking for the cream. She put her hand on her right back pocket where she normally kept it but felt nothing. 'But... I always put it in that pocket.' She thought, puzzled. She moved to her other back pocket, and not feeling it there quickly started to feel her two front pockets, panicking slightly.

"My cream, where is my cream? Where is it, where is it, where is it?" She glanced around the area quickly, wondering if she might have dropped it and froze in realization. 'The bird! When it latched onto me earlier the cream must have fallen out of my pocket.' She sat back with a sigh of despair.

"No~ I lost the cream, the cream is gone and Zoro is gonna die~" she sniffled, her eyes tearing up slightly. What kind of captain was she? She couldn't even help her first mate.

"I'm not gonna die, you idiot," he snapped in irritation turning to glare at her. "It's just a minor wound. I'll sleep it off and be healed by tomorrow." He said the words to reassure Luffy because, for some reason he didn't understand, he already hated that sad look on her face. At his words though it quickly faded into a cautious but hopeful look.

"Really? But your wound," she said.

"Tsk, this? This is nothing, I have had far worse than this, it's going to take a lot more than that to take me down." He smirked at her cockily and Luffy returned the smile, her confidence restored. She silently agreed with him, Zoro was super strong, she knew that there was nothing in this world that could defeat him. She just needed to be reminded of it every once in a while. Zoro's smirk softened into a half smile, glad to see his Captain was calm and happy, then he felt a tingling feeling, as if they were being watched and looked up to see… a dog.

"What's with this dog?" Zoro asked himself. When Luffy heard Zoro say dog, she turned around and squealed.

"Doggy!" She started to reach her hand through the cage and stopped, glaring at the bars, frusterated. "This cage is starting to get annoying," she muttered, knocking her knuckles against a bar.

Nami sighed from her position against the wall of a building where she had been watching them and approached the duo. "You two are lucky I came along," She said, getting their attention. Zoro just stared at her in annoyance and she glared right back before pulling a large key out of her pocket and swirling it around a finger.

"The key!" Luffy cheered, clapping her hands with glee. Zoro's glare lessened slightly and he glanced at Luffy relieved. If they had to move soon he would have picked the cage back up and ran until he collapsed, but he wouldn't be able to protect his captain like that. Getting Luffy out of that stupid cage would make things a lot easier for them. Nami walked over and quickly unlocked the cage before helping Luffy crawl out and straighten back up. The rubber girl stretched her arms above her head with a relieved sigh, muscles cramped after being in that cage for so long. She grinned at Nami thankfully before moving to sit next to Zoro, right in front of where the dog sat. It was a white dog with beady looking eyes and dirty fur. It hadn't moved at all when Luffy approached and remained as still as a statue as she settled down into a comfortable position so she made a silly face, trying to get a reaction from it.

"Hey Zoro, I think this dog is frozen," Luffy stated while grinning, her hands on her crossed ankles, rocking back a little.

"I don't give a damn. He can sit there forever for all I care." The swordsman grumbled, trying to fall asleep.

"Do you think it's dead?" She held out a finger and moved to poke at the statue-like dog, curious, wondering if it would fall over when she touched it.

"Don't touch it, Luffy! It could be a wild dog." But his warning reached deaf ears as Luffy's finger touched the dog's forehead and then she gave him a stroke on his fur. The dog didn't move at all but he wagged his tail slightly, accepting the girl's touch. Luffy giggled like a happy child and then began to pat him with her hand.

"Aw, aren't you a sweet doggy," She cooed, still giggling. Zoro blinked and let out a sigh before letting his eyes fall shut again. That girl was so full of surprises, he wasn't sure he'd ever get used to it. Luffy gave the dog another pat on the head when all of a sudden a shout rang out.

"HEY, STOP THAT! STOP PICKING ON POOR CHOUCHOU AND LEAVE HIM ALONE" Luffy and Nami both turned to see an elderly looking man with gray hair that had been arranged in three lumps: two on the sides, and one on the front. He wore a yellow lined shirt with dark green pants, a brown armor chest-plate with armored gauntlets over top of them and an old style pair of glasses.

"What? Oh, sir, I think you've got it wrong. We're not hurting him," said Nami waving her hands frantically, attempting to calm him down.

"Yeah, I like doggies," said a grinning Luffy, and the old man paused, fully taking in the scene before him and realizing that the three meant no harm.

"Oh I'm sorry, I thought you were one of those nasty Buggy Pirates," He apologized, walking closer to the small group.

"Then who might you be old man?" Zoro asked, cracking one eye open, wary but sensing no real threat from the man.

"Old man?" He huffed, turning to stare at Zoro. "Well, I'm the Mayor of this town and the name is Mr. Boodle to you." Then Boodle took notice of Zoro's still bleeding wound and his eyes widened.

"My, my. That's quite an injury you've got there. I take it you guys had a run-in with Captain Buggy?" The old man knelt down next to Zoro to get a better look at his injury. "We need to get you patched up."

Several minutes later, Boodle finally emerged from an empty house near them, wiping his hands on a cloth as he walked back over to where Luffy still sat next to Chouchou.

"How is Zoro?" She asked, tilting her head.

"I told him he should really see a doctor but he insisted that he didn't need to and he just wanted to sleep it off." said Boodle, shaking his head in exasperation. Inside the house, Zoro was fast asleep on a large bed and snoring very loudly, limbs thrown haphazardly in all directions.

Chouchou yawned and shook his head to get the tiredness away.

"So this dog's name is Chouchou," Nami said, the question more of a statement, as she crouched down so she could caress the dog's head.

"Why is he just sitting here like this? He sure is one lazy dog," Luffy giggled

"He's guarding the store," said Boodle with a solemn look. Nami and Luffy blinked in confusion and followed Boodle's gaze to the sign on the building behind them. The small one story house had a beautifully decorated sign above it that said Pet Food Store and both girls hummed in understanding.

"And the man that used to run this store was a very close friend of mine," he continued, his tone sad. The old man walked past the two girls and up the small stairs that led to the porch. He unlocked the store with a key attached to his belt and entered, Chouchou not stopping him because he was a close friend of his master. Boodle walked back out after a second, carrying a large sack of dog food in his arms. He set it down and scooped a small amount out before placing it in a small bowl and setting that in front of Chouchou.

"When he passed away I took over responsibility of taking care of Chouchou," Boodle said, watching the the small dog chow down on his favorite food.

"When did he die?" Nami asked.

"Three months ago after fighting on his own for a very long time."

"Don't tell me this dog has been staying here all this time waiting for his master to return?" Nami was bewildered.

"That seem to be the consensus," Boodle said, sighing. He turned back to the shop and re-locked the front door before taking a seat on one of the porch steps and bringing out his smoking pipe to have a quick smoke. Talking about his old friend always left him wanting a smoke, something to ease the sadness he felt at seeing Chouchou still there, waiting at the store.

"But…I find it very hard to believe. Chouchou is a smart dog, he's probably known for a while that his master is never coming back." Boodle took a drag from the pipe as he watched Chouchou lick his bowl clean.

"Then why does he stay with the store?" Nami asked, confused. If the dog knew his master was gone why did he continue to stay at the shop after all this time. Luffy stared at Chouchou mournfully, as if she understood why the dog stayed.

"I guess he has a connection to it, it's his treasure, he's guarding it." Boodle took another large drag of his pipe. "His master left him with this shop so that's why he protects it. I tried to bring him back to my place to keep him warm and give him a new home but he won't takes so much as step away from here." After Boodle finished his short explanation, neither of the girls said a word, both lost in their thoughts. In their eyes Chouchou was a brave, loyal and faithful dog, and they couldn't help but feel sympathy for him; both understanding, in their own way, a little of what he was feeling.

Then the ground started to shake around them, almost as if they were experiencing an earthquake, and a thunderous roar could be heard from miles away. Neither Luffy or Chouchou moved a muscle or flinched at the loud sound, their heads turning in sync to stare in the direction of the noise.

"What the hell was that?" Nami cried, springing to her feet as she heard a series of loud thumps in the distance, the sounds coming closer with every passing second.

"IT'S HIM! IT'S BEAST TAMER MOHJI! RUN!" Boodle panicked, quickly darting around a corner at the end of the street.

"What the~ come back!" Then Nami turned, chasing after him and leaving behind Luffy and Chouchou. Luffy sat in her traditional cross-legged position with the soles of her feet touching, hands gripping her ankles, and sighed.

"You're gonna fight, huh doggy?" She asked turning to look at Chouchou. The dog barked once in affirmation and Luffy smiled down at him. Compared to every dog she had ever seen, Chouchou was the bravest by far. Then a shadow blocked out the sun over both Luffy and Chouchou and she bent her head back to see a very large lion and a weird looking guy towering over them.

"I see that your friends have deserted you. And right after you managed to escape too." Mohji, tsk'ed in disappointment.

"Who the heck are you?" Luffy asked, watching the man curiously, no fear on her face.

"I'm known as the Beast Tamer Mohji, a member of the Buggy Pirates." He replied proudly. Luffy continued to stare at him, blinking comically before stating.

"Whoa, that's a weird animal suit you got on."

After she said it, Mohji's clenched his fists, his blood boiling in anger.

"That was rude! This is not a costume, this is manly hair." He replied pointing up at his hairstyle, feeling insulted from the girl's blunt comment.

"Kay, that even weirder." She raised an eyebrow in disbelief, doing another sweep of the strange man's outfit.

"You shouldn't assume that you're safe just because you escaped. You must not know of my terrifying skills. There is no animal in this world that Beast Tamer Mohji can't bend to his bidding." He jumped down from his lion and strolled towards Chouchou who was growling at the approaching threat. Mohji didn't appear intimidated by it and bent down to his knees and held out one hand.

"Shake," he commanded. Luffy watched, curious to see if this Mohji guy really did have some skill at controlling animals. But then Chouchou jumped forward, biting Mohji's hand and digging his teeth in, causing the man to scream. He shook his hand, desperately trying to get the dog to let go, but Chouchou just bit down harder, forcing another unmanly scream from the strange man. Luffy began to laugh at the funny man, hands wrapping around her stomach as she giggled. It appeared as if his so called skill wasn't as great as he said. After a minute or so Mohji was finally able to get Chouchou to release his hand and he quickly jumped back on top of his lion, trying to act like nothing had happened.

"I don't have time for this nonsense, tell me where Roronoa Zoro is before I kill you!" Mohji threatened. Luffy sobered immediately and jumped to her feet, glaring up at the man.

"Fat chance, weirdo!" She stuck out her tongue in a child-like display of defiance and Mohji ground his teeth together in anger.

"RICHIE ATTACK!" The lion jumped forward towards the raven-haired girl, batting his paw at her and using his claws to strike. Luffy crossed her arms over her chest to deflect the attack but Richie's massive paw was stronger than she had anticipated and broke through her guard, forcing her to jump to the side, barely missing the sharp claws. Mohji saw an opening and ordered his friend to attack again, however, this time Luffy wasn't able to react fast enough, still trying to regain her footing from the last attack, and Richie's paw struck her, sending her flying back and crashing through a row of houses. Mohji smiled in victory, thinking that he had killed the girl. After all, no regular person could survive a hit like that.

"Nice work! Good boy, Richie! Now let's go find Zoro and defeat him to increase my reputation. Then we'll bring his head back for Captain Buggy," Richie turned to follow his master's command and continue the search but froze when he spotted a Pet Food Shop out of the corner of his eye.

"What's wrong?" Mohji asked, noticing that Richie had stopped. He followed his lion's line of sight and let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, it's a pet food store. Okay, make it quick and let's go." Richie roared happily as he strode toward the building, already drooling at the thought of all of the food in the store, but Chouchou stood his ground, paws planted firmly in front of the store, barking and growling in an attempt to get Richie to back off.

"Don't tell me this pathetic looking mutt really thinks he can guard the shop," Mohji scoffed, still upset that this mutt had bitten his hand.

* * *

Luffy continued to slam back through the buildings, the wooden structures eventually slowing her movement enough to allow her to slide to a stop in a small alleyway. She quickly sat up, debris falling around her, and rubbed the top of her head quizzically. "Yah, that was annoying. That stupid lion thing hits hard." She adjusted her hat before standing up and patting herself down, letting a grin slide over her features. "Yosh, now it's time to teach those Buggy pirates a lesson, and then I need to convince Nami to be my navigator. Shihehe." She turned her head quizzically as she heard two sets of footsteps coming her way and watched as Nami and Boodle rounded the corner.

"How did you survive that attack?!" Nami was stunned to see the she-captain in one piece, looking for all the world like she hadn't just slammed through a wooden building.

"You're…alive, are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" the Mayor asked, stepping forward to check the girl over, not quite believing she could be completely uninjured. Luffy just glanced between the two, blinking in confusion.

"I just got lucky, I guess."

"Surviving that attack is not normal! I thought you'd be scattered all over." Nami countered as Luffy turned to glance back through the hole she had made, wiping the last of the grime off her vest.

"Why did you come to this town in the first place and how did you get involved with those pirates?" The Mayor had been wondering that ever since he met them, their arrival couldn't be just simple coincidence.

"All I'm doing is searching for the chart of the Grand Line and a good Navigator to join my crew," Luffy replied. Nami stared at the stubborn girl who still wanted her to be part of her crew even though she continuously said 'no'. Not to mention she was a pirate thief. Pirate thieves and pirate captains could not mix together, they just couldn't. Why couldn't Luffy understand that?! Luffy ran past Nami and Boodle, yelling back at them.

"I think the guy in the animal suit said he was looking for Zoro, so I gotta stop him." She said and her eyes narrowed in determination, her fists clenching as she ran. She wouldn't let this guy hurt Zoro, not on her watch.

Back in the town square, Chouchou stood his ground, not intimidated by the giant lion that was slowly approaching him. He growled and snarled at Richie, trying to force the lion to leave but it only seemed to anger Richie and the lion used a paw to sweep Chouchou out of his way. As soon as the way to the shop was cleared, Richie licked his lips and proceeded to destroy the shop's sign and then entire front of the store in his attempt to get at the food. Chouchou, injured but not out, forced himself back onto his feet before charging the large lion again.

*_Flashback_*

_In a small shop in Orange town an elderly man carefully carried a large bag of dog food he had just grabbed from the storage room. He had wrinkles that showed his age, short purple hair and a matching beard. He wore a light red shirt, white pants, a red wool cap, and a worn pair of shoes. His name is Honker and he ran the local pet store. In the middle of the main room a small white puppy sat and watched Honker work, his eyes never leaving the old man._

_"Chouchou, this shop belong to us now." Honker smiled down at Chouchou over the top of the bag, laughing when the little dog barked in agreement. Chouchou ran towards the storage room, deciding to help his friend and grabbed a second sack with his teeth. He tried to drag it but didn't appear to be making much progress when Honker approached and stopped the small dog. _

_"That bag is way too heavy for you, Chouchou," he laughed, happy his friend wanted to help him._

* * *

_On the outskirts of Orange Town, Honker had gotten his cart stuck in a hole and was attempting to pull it out. Chouchou, now older, wanted to help and began to push at the wheel with his front paws. The cart finally came loose but Chouchou's paws got stuck in the wheel as it turned. Luckily, Honker was by his side quickly and was able to pull Chouchou out._

_"Be careful Chouchou, don't hurt yourself. Leave this to me, okay?"_

* * *

_Honker found Chouchou in the storage room with three sacks of doggy biscuits around him, torn and eaten._

_"Bad Chouchou, I told you not to eat the merchandise." Honker scolded Chouchou but couldn't help the smile on his face that showed he wasn't truly mad at the small dog. Instead he held out a plate full of meat and lobster to Chouchou._

_"So let's chow down with real food." Soon they were having a tug of war with a large piece of meat, fighting for who would get to eat it._

* * *

_"Chouchou, I'm going to see the doctor for a check-up but I'll be back so guard the shop until I return," Honker said patting the little dog on the head as he stepped out of the shop. Chouchou barked immediately and with no hesitation. He would guard the shop with his life._

_"Hold down the fort."_

*_End Flashback_*

As Chouchou bit Richie's leg he remembered the great times he spent with his master, the joyous memories he still held close. How he and his master worked together as a team, enjoying laughter and family moments together, and he remembered his last words, his last promise to guard the shop. Even though his master was dead Chouchou would keep his promise till his last breath. Richie roared in pain as Chouchou dug his teeth deeper to the Lion's flesh, Chouchou let go of the lion's paw after another minute and growled again, telling the lion to leave and showing that he would back up his threat, but Richie refused. The lion struck Chouchou again with his claws, resulting in a deep gash in his shoulder, but Chouchou refused to give up. His master was counting on him to protect his shop, he got up again and stood in front of Richie which aggravated the lion tenfold. Mohji watched the dog's struggle to keep Richie away from his shop in amusement.

"So you're not going to give up now, huh?" He smirked and Chouchou growled, barely keeping his footing after losing so much blood but he would not let his precious treasure be taken by pirates. Chouchou snarled as he hurdled toward Richie in a last, desperate attack but Richie was too strong and too fast to be defeated easily, he lifted his paw and, with a heavy blow, struck Chouchou in the chest.

* * *

The Pet Food Store was on fire, after Richie had barged in and ate every last sack of dog food he could find, Mohji had burned the shop using a pack of matches and left the scene. Chouchou woke up a minute later, having been knocked out by Richie's last attack, and saw his shop, his home, his treasure burning.

It was at that moment that Luffy rounded the corner, just in time to see that the shop that the white doggy held so dear to his heart was on fire. She looked around the square, seeing splashes of blood everywhere and the evidence of a fight before looking back at Chouchou, seeing his fur smeared with blood.

'_He has a connection to it, it's his treasure. He's guarding it, his master left him with this shop so that's why he's protects __it_' She remembered the old man's words as she watched the doggy howl in anguish, in agony at the thought that he had lost his precious treasure forever. Luffy's eyes filled with rage and her teeth clenched together. She had come to find Beast Tamer Mohji to protect Zoro, but now, now he would pay for this as well. What he had done was unforgivable.

* * *

Richie strolled away from the store, carrying an extra box of food between his teeth for a later snack, as Mohji examined the wound on his hand, cursing the dumb mutt under his breath for attacking him when he had first approached.

"Damn it, I can't believe it that wretched little dog bit me," he cursed again. He was glad he had destroyed the shop that the dog seemed to hold dear, the mutt deserved it. After a minute he sighed, turning back to the task at hand; he still needed to find Roronoa Zoro. Richie continued to walk through the empty streets but stopped suddenly when Luffy emerged from a side alley, blocking their path. Mohji stared at her frowning, he thought he had killed her but apparently the annoying little girl had survived.

"Hey, I thought I killed you! What are you still doing alive?" Mohji asked impatiently.

"I'm afraid you can't get rid of me that easily," Luffy grinned, crossing her arms over her chest. Even though she was smiling there was no humor in her tone or face but Mohji took no notice of that.

"This time, crush her head into the ground, Richie!" He commanded as he jumped off of Richie's back so the lion could move freely. Richie roared and charged at Luffy, teeth bared in a snarl.

"I'm not going to be beaten by a stupid lion" She hissed, stretching her arms forward. Her arms twisted together like a snake and each hand grabbed a fistful of Richie's mane before lifting the giant lion into the air. He spun around as her arms unwound themselves and she used the momentum of her spin to flip him over and slam him into the ground, knocking the lion out instantly. Her hat was knocked off her head from the breeze that had been caused by her attack and it came to rest on the ground next to her feet as she turned her glare to Mohji. The pirate was gaping at her in shock, barely able to believe that the tiny girl before him had just taken out a huge lion in 5 seconds flat.

"W-what are you?"

"Well I ate a devil fruit…" She began, shadowing her eyes underneath her hair, the move making her look even more menacing. Mohji trembled in fear at her words. The girl had been a Devil Fruit User all along. That had to be the reason she survived Richie's earlier attack.

"So you have a devil fruit like Captain Buggy?" His shaking worsened when Luffy didn't say a word back to him. He knew how fearsome Buggy and his power was, if this girl was even half as powerful as his captain than...

"I'm sorry! I apologize for attacking you, I don't want any trouble!" Mohji bowed his head, waving his hands in front of him in cowardly attempt to try and placate her. Luffy turned around until she was completely facing Mohji and growled.

"There is no reason to apologize to me! Because of you that dog will never get his treasure back and now, because of that, I'm gonna kick your sorry ass!" Her tone was cold as ice and her onyx eyes were like daggers. Before Mohji could even think of running away Luffy had shot her arm out and grabbed onto the front of his shirt, pulling him towards her and using the momentum to punch him hard, knocking him unconscious.

* * *

Back in town square, Chouchou was now sitting silently, gazing sadly at the burned remains of the shop he and his master had built together. A shop that he would never see again. Nami and Boodle stood on the sidelines, watching the poor dog sadly.

"Pirates…they're all the same. They're all a bunch of heartless bastards that destroy everything that people hold dear without giving it a second thought." Nami hissed with a mix of bitter anger and sorrow. The sight of Chouchou brought back memories she didn't want to think about and she grasped her left shoulder, fist tightening in anger. **All** pirates were scum in her book, there were no exceptions. It was at that moment that Luffy appeared, no smile on her face, a small box of dog food clutched in one hand.

"Oh you're alive, pirate," Nami spit out, pure disgust in her tone. "You know, I thought for sure that lion was going to tear your head off and end it all and I wish he had, cause then there would be one less pirate in the world!" Nami couldn't stop herself, she was too angry. "Or maybe I should kill you right now before you can gather a crew and destroy everything else?!" She rushed towards Luffy seeing nothing but red, thinking she could finish the smaller girl off, but before she could get close Boodle yanked her back. Luffy watched Nami struggle to get away from the Mayor, no expression in her dark eyes. She knew that the orangette wanted to attack and kill her but she seemed to be unfazed by her harsh words.

"Calm down, there is no need for violence," said Boodle, shocked at the girl's sudden burst of anger.

"As if you could ever kill me," Luffy scoffed, walking away, not giving Nami another glance.

"Maybe I'll try and see!"

"I said stop! What is wrong with you people?"

Luffy approached Chouchou and carefully set the box of dog food in front of him before taking a seat next to him, her legs crossed. Nami stopped struggling in Boodle's hold, both of them surprised to see Luffy, a _Pirate_, showing kindness to a dog. The raven-haired girl lifted one hand from her lap and patted Chouchou lightly on the head, not wanting to aggravate his injuries.

"Sorry, that's all I could save for ya. That bastard lion ate all the rest of it."

'She fought the lion…in order to save the dog's food?' Nami thought, confused. She was in shock that a pirate, of all people, would do something good for someone else's sake, with no thought of reward. She gazed at Luffy, her expression softening and thought that maybe she had been wrong. Luffy was nothing like any pirate she had ever met before, she was… different.

"You fought well; course I didn't actually see you defending the store but I can tell you gave it your all!" Luffy said, smiling sweetly at Chouchou. The dog didn't reply and instead grasped the box of food in his mouth and began to walk away from the destroyed store. Just as he was about to turn a corner, Chouchou turned his head to Luffy and barked.

"Thanks! Good luck to you too, doggy." She smiled brightly at the dog, waving her arm over her head in farewell. Chouchou barked twice more and then left, disappearing into the alley. Nami couldn't help but smile at that. 'I guess there is more to Luffy than what meets the eyes.'

* * *

"WHAT?! You were defeated?! How!?" Buggy stared down at his injured first mate in shock. Mohji had come back covered in blood and bruises, and even Richie was badly hurt.

"I'm very sorry, Captain. Sorry that I failed," Mohji said, kneeling before his captain and fighting the urge to stay awake. The punch that the girl had hit him with had most likely given him a concussion and he was still feeling the effects.

"Mohji, I can't believe you were defeated by Roronoa Zoro!" Buggy exclaimed, automatically assuming that his opponent had been the green-haired swordsman.

"No, it wasn't Zoro! It was that Straw Hat girl!" Mohji yelled, forcing himself to his feet, ignoring his sudden bout of dizziness. He did not want his captain to underestimate that devil of a girl.

"What?! There's no way that skinny little girl could've gotten the better of you." Buggy didn't believe that one little girl had actually beat his strongest man, it was preposterous to even consider.

"But sir, she is no ordinary girl, she ate a…" Before Mohji could finish his sentence his dizziness got the better of him and caused him to fall back down, passing out as soon as he hit the floor.

"Now I'm really pissed off! Alright, prepare all the remaining Special Buggy Balls. I'm going to blast this miserable town into smithereens!"

* * *

"Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just…" Nami was embarrassed that she had yelled so harshly at the younger girl but Luffy just halted her apology with one of her bright grins.

"That's okay, you've been under a lot of stress lately." Then she got up from her sitting position, dusting her shorts off as Nami watched on with a smile.

"No need to apologize," Luffy said, still smiling. Then Boodle clenched his hands irritably.

"I'm pathetic, Chouchou and you young ones have fought so hard for this town and yet I'm the Mayor and I've done nothing but sit back and watch our town be obliterated by Buggy and his despicable crew." As he got himself more and more worked up, his voice got louder and louder. Luffy and Nami glanced at each other before both ran over to try and calm him down, knowing that charging into a battle recklessly was dangerous.

"Calm down, it's not that bad," said Nami.

"Forty years ago, this whole area was nothing but barren rugged land. We all worked together to create fields for our crops, we opened stores and built everything from the ground up. This town is a treasure to me and all the citizens from here. I refuse to let Buggy and his crew terrorize us anymore!" He yelled all this, ready to take action and Luffy stepped away. She couldn't stop him from this fight, she wouldn't deny anyone the right to fight for what they held dear, but she would back him up. Before she could open her mouth to say so a sudden blast sounded, followed by fire and debris, destroying another part of Orange Town right next to Luffy, Nami, and Boodle.

"He'll destroy it all!" Boodle murmured sadly, and Nami hummed in agreement, turning to Luffy, watching as the girl's eyes widened. Luffy shrieked in alarm when she remembered what the house next to them was, startling both Boodle and Nami.

"NO! Zoro was sleeping in there!" She yelled, quickly rushing towards the destroyed mess of houses and the place where Zoro had been resting before dropping to her knees to start digging.

"Zoro?… Zoro?! Can you hear me? Say something! ANYTHING!" She shouted, her heart beating faster as her worry mounted. Zoro was strong, she knew he was strong, but he was still injured and that Buggy Ball cannon was strong enough to even kill someone like her.

"I'm sure he's dead now," Boodle said sadly, shaking his head.

"SHUT UP!" Luffy snarled, glaring back at Boodle before continuing to dig. "Zoro is not dead! He's not, he's not!" As Luffy muttered that mantra under her breath she felt the beginnings of tears coming on. This day had been awful so far. Zoro had saved her when she fell in the ocean, then got injured saving her from the cage, and was now buried under who knows how much debris. She hadn't been able to do anything! She was a useless captain if she couldn't protect her crew and she had promised Zoro she would help him achieve his dream. Nami watched Luffy, shocked that the girl seemed close to crying.

"ZORO!" She screamed, hands clenching into fists against the wood beneath her, when suddenly...

"Ow. That's one hell of a way to wake a guy up." Luffy gasped in shock as she recognized that voice, her hands loosening their grip and her heart swelling with hope. She glanced up from the rubble towards the voice to see Zoro sitting up groggily, debris falling around him.

"I could use a few more Z's and who the hell was shouting?!" He carefully climbed out of the crumbled house, scratching at his hair lazily, completely ignoring his surroundings. Luffy smiled, a few stray tears falling before she stumbled to her feet and sprinted toward Zoro, tackling him to the ground in a huge hug. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her face in his chest, nuzzling against his collarbone happily.

"Zoro! You're alive! I'm so glad you're okay," She said, giggling with relief. Zoro was taken aback, a little disoriented at being tackled back to the ground by a red blur, but when she hugged him and he was able to recognize Luffy's unique scent he relaxed, unconsciously returning the hug and wrapping his own arms around her back. As she nuzzled at his neck, he could feel a blush spreading to his ears, just now starting to grasp that he was hugging his _female_ captain tightly against his chest.

"WOULD YOU GET OFF ME?!" He yelled, letting his arms drop but not pushing her off. "WHY ARE YOU HUGGING ME?!" Nami smiled and had to stifle a small laugh at the look on the so-called _famous_ bounty hunter's face. He was a brighter red than she had ever seen on anyone and it was at that point that she decided that he and Luffy would make an adorable couple.

"I refuse to let him get away with this. I won't stand for it! I can't let this scumbag destroy the town that our people worked so hard for! I'm the Mayor of this town, I WILL PROTECT IT AND ITS INHABITENTS! I SWEAR ON MY DYING BREATH!" As he was about to run off to find Buggy, Nami grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, halting his suicidal rush.

"You can't defeat Buggy on your own," Nami said, exasperated, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on.

"Perhaps, but there are some fights that a man can't run from, isn't that right?!" Boodle asked, turning to look at Luffy and Zoro. Zoro had finally managed to convince Luffy to stop hugging him and get off his stomach and she was now helping him to his feet.

"That's right, old man!" Luffy laughed, letting go of Zoro's hand and turning to face the other two. She still kept herself near Zoro, standing just in front of the green haired swordsman. That worried feeling she had felt when he was buried still hadn't left her yet and she wanted to stay near him for now.

"Shut up, don't egg him on, Luffy! It's too dangerous for him to fight Buggy on his own!" Nami cried.

"I know it's dangerous!" Boodle shouted, surprising Nami. She was so shocked, her grip on Boodle's armor slipped and he used the opportunity to break free of her hold and run towards the remains of Buggy's lair. The three watched the old man disappear around the corner, knowing how his fight with Buggy would end. The old man knew it too, but he was willing to go and fight anyway.

"Was the Mayor…crying?" Nami asked hesitantly. She could have sworn, before she let go of the mayor, that she saw tears coming out from his eyes.

"Was he? Huh, I didn't notice." Luffy shrugged, still watching the spot where he had disappeared..

"Looks like the party just got more exciting," Zoro said, feeling both relieved and disappointed that Luffy had released her hold on him, but as they stood, his own hands had made their way to her hips and still rested loosely on her waist.

"Yeah, it sure does. Shihehehehe!" Luffy was excited now. She had decided she would help the old man and now that Zoro was back up they could fight together again.

"This is no time for laughter! We've gotta do something before he gets himself killed!" Nami yelled, starting to panic. Didn't these two take anything seriously?!

"Don't worry, I like that old man. There is no way I'll let him die," Luffy stated seriously, her expression sobering as she made eye contact with Nami. Zoro gazed down at her, sensing her change in attitude, before realizing that he was still holding her waist in a semi-possessive manner. His hands shot back as if he had been burned and he turned away, trying to mask the blush that had come to his face.

'I have a feeling that this is going to become a regular occurance with her.' He thought, sighing as he carefully made his way out of the rubble and onto the solid brick street. Luffy turned when Zoro moved and blinked as she noticed Zoro's blush, tilting her head in confusion.

"Zoro, are you okay? Why are your cheeks red?"

"It's nothing, let's just go and save that old man." Zoro muttered, attempting to deflect her.

"Wait, you're still wounded. You can't fight like this!" Nami protested, watching as Zoro tied his bandana on his head and turned to her with a shark-like grin.

"Yeah, so what? The injury to my reputation is a lot worse than the injury to my gut."

"And we have to go anyway," Luffy agreed. "If we plan to get to the Grand Line, we're going to need to steal that chart back." Then Luffy held out her right hand to Nami, a large grin on her face.

"Are you gonna join our crew, or what? C'mon!" Nami frowned down at the younger girl's hand and slapped it away after a second.

"I'll never sink so low as to become a Pirate…" Luffy's face began to fall and she quickly continued. "But I suppose we can team up in order to achieve our common goals." Nami smirked. Luffy cheered, pumping her fist in the air. She had finally gotten her navigator.

* * *

~Back at Buggy's lair~

"Ready to fire at my command," said Buggy, ready to destroy another part of the worthless town in retaliation for his first mate's injuries. He opened his mouth to order the shot when someone shouted.

"Come on out, Buggy the Clown!" Curious, Buggy walked toward the edge of the building and looked down to see a panting old man, leaning against a wooden spear.

"I'm Mayor Boodle! This town is my treasure and I won't let you terrorize my people any longer so come on out and fight me!" Boodle yelled louder than he had ever yelled before.

"You idiot. This town is no treasure. Treasure is gold, silver, and jewels so cut the crap old man and get lost before I kill you!" Buggy hissed, at his wits end. All these complications and headaches were leaving him in a rather foul mood.

"You can never understand how I feel," The mayor sighed, almost feeling pity for the pirate, but before he could say anything else something grabbed his throat and he was suddenly lifted up into the air. Buggy laughed at the surprise on the old man's face as used his Chop-Chop power to strangle him until there was no more air in his lungs.

"Hahaha! Soon, I'm going to conquer the Grand Line and flashily obtain all the world's richest treasures and there is nothing you can do to stop me! All the world will belong to me! Now, if this town means so much to you then perhaps I can do you a favor and kill you first. That way you won't have to see me destroy your precious little town," said Buggy grinning madly. He could take out his frustrations on the old man and then he would track down Zoro and the two bitches following him.

"Shut...up and 'ugh' fight me 'ugh' already!" Boodle gasped, feeling the edges of his vision darkening but refusing to give in. He would not die here!

"Don't get cocky."

"I'll never let you destroy this town, even if it costs me my very life 'ugh'" Boodle was having trouble breathing and Buggy chuckled.

"So be it." He moved to finish him off but before Buggy could make a single move he felt something grab at the hand wrapped around the mayor's throat. He glanced back down and gasped in shock.

"That straw hat girl. Not again!" Luffy stood in front of the panting mayor, Buggy's hand clenched tightly in one of hers. Behind her, Nami was helping the old man to his feet and providing a shoulder to lean on as he caught his breath while Zoro watched the rooftop warily, one eye on his captain.

"I'm here to kick your ass, just like I promised Buggy!" Luffy said, grinning that manic D grin, her eyes sparkling with determination. She was ready to kick some clown ass.

* * *

Another chapter down. The fight between Buggy and Luffy will be up tomorrow so stay tuned.

One little note: as far as Luffy's mood swings from near tears to semi normal. Part of it is that Luffy is a girl and girl's are more emotional than boys. Ace always did say that Luffy was a crybaby so I can imagine her crying if something seriously upsets her. And part of the reason she is so emotional with Zoro is that she is frustrated. Since they teamed up, he has been protecting her, saving her, and she feels like she has done nothing to help him. As captain, she feels her job is to take care of her crew. She is still our happy-go-lucky captain but when her crew is in danger her more emotional side starts to come out. That's kind of my reasoning for her emotional moments this chapter. What do you guys think? Does that kind of make sense and fit or should I try and back off on the emotional parts? Luffy will have some captain moments in upcoming chapters where she takes a firm stance. She is not always going to be a crybaby and will even get mad and snap at Zoro when she feels he has done something stupid.

Let me know and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Til tomorrow!


	7. Swordsman Zoro vs Acrobat Cabaji

I am sorry for the late update. Apparently, finishing finals and going on winter break is free reign to schedule me non-stop at work.

Also, I lied last chapter. This chapter isn't actually the Buggy vs Luffy fight. I had almost forgotten about Zoro's fight so while it does have the start of Luffy's fight, their actual fight starts next chapter. Sorry. But I give you sexy, overprotective Zoro instead!

Tairulz - Thanks so much for the review.

Shirani-Chan - I feel like you're just going to be a permanent person I thank. The last chapter is one of my personal favorites too but my real favorite is coming up in chapter 13 or 14.

This is not completely my story. Some conversations and parts have been borrowed from other Fem!Luffy and LuffyxZoro fanfictions. However, most of this has been completely redone and rewritten by me.

The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you)

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

* * *

Epic Showdown! Swordsman Zoro vs. Acrobat Cabaji

I'll never give up fighting till the end, if I fall along the way I'll get up and try again but never shall I accept the fact of defeat, I've set goals in life and those I must meet but never will I let negativity hold me down. Those who think positive I keep them around, never shall I dwell on things in the past, bad times come but never do they last I shall never give in to those who are weaker than I. If I give up now why not lie down and die. Never give up….by Mark Howard.

* * *

Captain Buggy of the Buggy Pirates was livid. His plans had been foiled far too often today, and now he couldn't even kill one weak old man without being stopped. The girl continued to hold his hand preventing him from returning it to his body, and he was getting more furious by the second at the smug smirk that refused to leave her face. Her two companions, the swordsman and the thief, stood behind her lost in their own conversation, Zoro's tone and expression bored.

"Listen, all I want is the map and the treasure. You both can do what you please."

"Yeah, we got it."

Luffy kept her hand firmly gripping Buggy's for a while, enjoying the struggle and the angry veins appearing on his face. After a while though she got bored with counting the veins and let go of the hand with a sigh. The hand flew all the way back to the top building and reattached itself back on the stump of Buggy's arm. The clown massaged his wrist, more than a little annoyed, and yelled down at her.

"Damn you, you stupid little girl! How dare you?! You can't just walk up to me and treat me like this, I'M CAPTAIN BUGGY AND I WON'T STAND FOR IT!" Luffy watched Buggy's childish ranting for a minute, her head tilted in an almost confused manner. While she watched, Nami pulled mayor Boodle back to his feet and placed a hand reassuringly on his back as he wheezed and coughed, trying to catch his breath.

"Get out of here!" He rasped, waving his arm in a shooing motion, the other massaging his sore throat. "Why did you follow me? You're outsiders, so leave this to me!" Luffy turned her head away from Buggy's rant to stare at him, Zoro and Nami doing the same. Their expressions were blank as they watched the mayor struggle to catch his breath.

"This is my fight! I need to be the one to save my town!" Then he grabbed a broken metal pole near him and yelled, trying to sound bold.

"Buggy is my fight, so leave!"

As he spoke, Luffy had begun to walk quietly back towards him, her eyes shadowed under her hat. With no warning, and before the mayor could even take a step past her, she brought her fist back and slammed it into the mayor's head. The strike was so hard, it sent the old man back against the wall of the nearest building, out of the way. Nami gasped in shock as the mayor slid to the ground unconscious while Zoro's expression remained unchanged. Even Captain Buggy and his crew were baffled by the girl's sudden assault on one of her supposed teammates.

"Why the hell did you knock out the mayor?" Nami screeched at Luffy, wanting an answer for the girl's sudden change. But the younger girl just turned around and grinned brightly, pointing one hand over to where Buggy and his crew stood dumbfounded.

"That's why." She replied, as if her answer made all the sense in the world. Nami just stared at her, having no clue what the hell she was talking about and wondering if the raven-haired girl ever made any sort of sense. Then Zoro spoke up from her left.

"That's not a bad idea. If the old man had fought he would've died. It's for the best."

"Okay, I get it but still…YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO HIT HIM LIKE THAT! DON'T BE SO RASH AND LET ME HANDLE THIS KIND OF THING FROM NOW ON! YOU ARE HOPELESS!" Nami howled but Luffy ignored her outburst and walked back towards the building where Buggy was still standing, watching her silently. When she was sure she was ahead of her crew enough to protect them from the next attack, she smirked mischievously.

"Here goes." She took a deep long breath and then shouted something that no one in their right mind would dare say to Buggy once, let alone twice.

"HEY BIG NOSE!" The Buggy pirates dropped their jaws in shock, cringing as the girl mentioned the unholy word. Even Nami had cringed when Luffy yelled out.

"That was the worst thing you could've said to him!" She hissed fearfully, gripping her hair in her hands as she watched the veins appearing on Buggy's forehead.

"You damn flashy idiot girl! You're going to pay dearly for that! TAKE AIM AND FIRE THE BUGGY BALL!" He screamed, glaring at his stunned crew. They quickly scrambled to flip the cannon so it faced Luffy, ready to fire.

"Why did you have to say that?!" Nami screamed, running left into the nearest alley to try and take cover from the cannon.

"C'mon Luffy. We gotta get out of here," Zoro agreed, worried when the raven-haired girl didn't move so much as a step. She continued to smirk up at Buggy but slid her eyes over to make eye contact with her first mate.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I got this!" She said.

"Time to die!" Buggy shouted angrily as he fired his Special Buggy Ball, heart pounding in excitement. There was no way for that straw-hat wearing bitch to dodge this one, but Luffy just planted her feet on the ground, reading her counterattack.

"Gum Gum Balloon!" She shouted, taking a deep breath and expanding her stomach, making a sort of buffer for the cannonball. Everyone stared at her, slightly dumbstruck, except for Zoro who just shook his head slightly in exasperation.

"I should have expected something like this." The cannonball struck her stomach and sunk in slightly before she used her strength to force it back out. It rebounded back towards the squawking Buggy Pirates, instantly taking out them along with the two story building they stood on. Luffy and Zoro shielded their faces slightly as debris from the bar flew in all directions, Luffy's happy smirk even wider now. When the dust cleared they lowered their arms to see the damage the Buggy Ball had caused to the building. All around them were bits of wood and metal, all of the Buggy pirates appearing to be either dead or unconscious.

"All right, I got them all!" The she-captain cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

"WHO THE HELL AND WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?" Nami screeched, leaning her head out of the alley. She had stayed, slightly worried for the two pirates and had seen Luffy rebound the cannonball like it was nothing. Nothing made any sense to her anymore, first Buggy and now this! Zoro watched the panicking orangette emerge from the alley after determining it was safe and blankly said.

"You know, it would've been nice to tell her instead of freaking her out." Luffy giggled and whispered 'oops', scratching the top of her head in embarrassment. She had forgotten to tell Nami that she was a devil fruit user like Buggy. Oh well, it wasn't that important right now, Nami had never asked and she was having too much fun here to really care.

Zoro turned to look at his captain, about to ask her what their next move was when his eyes widened and he let out a choked sound. "Gah, Luffy!" He cried, slapping his hand up to cover his eyes.

Nami approached the raven-haired girl, staring at her back confused, wondering what was wrong with the swordsman when she suddenly saw it, her own face turning slightly red. With deliberate calmness she stomped up to Luffy, who was staring at her first mate in startled bewilderment, and jerked her red tank closed.

"In the future you might want to be more mindful of that attack." she said in a voice of forced calm, her fingers deftly fastening the buttons of Luffy's red shirt. '_Especially if you're going to keep wearing button-up tanks'. _

Luffy blinked and tilted her head to the side, completely oblivious. "Why?"

Nami glared at her. "Because I said so, that why."

Luffy only looked more confused, but nodded nonetheless, prompting Nami to let out a relieved sigh.

Zoro cautiously lowered his hand from his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. It would not do good for his heart should this turn out to be a regular occurrence_. 'Maybe having that girl on our team won't be such a bad thing.' __He thought, trying to will away the bright red blush still present on his cheeks and all the way to his ears._

Nami stepped back from Luffy and did a quick once over of the girl with her eyes before continuing with her earlier rant, now that the raven-haired girl was presentable. "I knew that something was wrong with you when you fought and survived from that lion, no human being could have done that! Now explain, how in the hell did you stretch like that? YOU JUST REFLECTED A GIANT CANNONBALL!" _'And nearly lost your shirt in the process.'_

Nami stared at the seemingly normal girl in both amazement and shock eyes focused on the happy and open face. Ever since she had met this girl everything had happened almost all at once; Buggy could detach and reattach his body parts, Roronoa Zoro the famous pirate hunter had become a pirate, she saw a giant lion, and now a girl who could stretch and expand her body like a rubber band. Nami wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

"Well, I ate a devil fruit and now I'm made of rubber." Luffy's grin widened and she pinched her cheeks before stretching them out slightly.

"Wait, you're devil fruit user like Buggy? Why didn't you say anything?!" Nami yelled, still slightly in shock.

"Because you didn't ask?" Luffy cocked her head and stared at Nami innocently. The orangette scratched her head and sighed in frustration at the girl's simple but logical answer. She couldn't exactly argue with Luffy's logic. Zoro watched the two girls bicker with mild amusement but the sound of crumbling rocks drew his attention to the rubble of the building. They all looked over to see Captain Buggy standing, apparently unscathed. He was holding two of his men like shields with his chop-chop fruit that he must have grabbed just before the explosion.

"How dare you try to flashily do me in!" said Buggy as he threw his human shields to the side and reattached his hands back to his wrists, leveling a glare at the small group who continued to oppose him. Nami frowned in disgust, muttering under her breath.

"Typical, using his men as his shield." Once she said it Luffy and Zoro's frowns deepened as well, hating the clown even more.

In the heap of the destroyed building, Mohji had just woken up, the attack and commotion jarring him awake. He glanced around, gasping in shock at the destruction that was left from the Buggy ball. Their lair in pieces and most of the crew half dead or worse.

"What in the world just happened here?!" Mohji asked. He quickly stood up, intending to find the one responsible for attack and froze when his eyes fell upon the straw hat chick from earlier.

"Oh no, not you!" He begged, freaking out. When Luffy saw Mohji, she put on a friendly smile and waved.

"Hey, weirdo!"

"AHHHHH~ it's that straw hat girl! AHHH! Captain Buggy we have to be careful, she has devil fruit powers!" said the panicky Mohji, turning to his captain.

"What!?" Buggy couldn't believe what he was hearing. That had to be how she reflected the Buggy Ball but it what his first mate said was true than that girl was no weak skinny girl. He smiled sadistically, it had been a while since he had last fought a devil fruit user and killing this girl would certainly boost his bounty.

"A devil fruit user, huh? Hehehe, this should be interesting." Buggy chuckled darkly. Mohji wanted to protest but decided against it. He knew his captain well and if there was one thing that Buggy liked more than smashing buildings with his Buggy Ball, it was flashy death that increased his reputation. A sound echoed from behind Mohji and he turned around to see a man emerging from the rubble, holding an unconscious Richie as a shield the same way Buggy had.

"How do you plan to respond such insult, Captain?" The newcomer asked casually.

"Oh Cabaji, I don't know. I'm too angry to even think." Buggy pretended to think about it. He was glad to see his 2nd best fighter after Mohji, He would need the swordsman to kill that straw hat wannabe. Cabaji was a tall, slender man with a very unique hairstyle. Long on one side and parallel shaved stripes of hair on the other. He wore a large blue and white checkered scarf that covered the lower portion of his face, a sleeveless purple coat reaching down to his knees, white bell bottom pants held up by a light blue sash, and white shoes. Then Mohji started to yell furiously, finally registering that Cabaji was holding his pet.

"Put him down Cabaji! What the hell did you do to my Richie?!"

"This cat? I used it as a shield to keep my clothes from getting dirty," replied Cabaji, his tone bored as he let Richie drop to the ground in a heap.

"RICHIE! Say something, please say something!" Mohji begged praying that his friend was alright and sighed in relief when Richie regained consciousness. When the large lion saw Cabaji, however, he scrambled away in fright like a small kitty cat and hid behind a still standing section of wall.

"Richie…damn you Cabaji!" Mohji shouted as he charged Cabaji, intending to hit the other man in retaliation for Richie's injuries, but the guy dodged his attack effortlessly and kicked Mohji, sending him flying toward Luffy. When Luffy saw Mohji hurling toward her, she flipped herself into the air and smacked Mohji on the side of his face with her foot, sending him flying into a wall, creating a large circular crack pattern around him. The, now unconscious, man slid down to the ground with a thud.

Buggy and Cabaji watched the spectacular event before them. This girl was unique and was starting to interest them. Cabaji smirked darkly and glanced over at Buggy.

"Captain Buggy, allow me to repay their disrespect." He asked.

"Very well, but make it a good show for everyone," Buggy replied, a hint of malice in his tone, and Cabaji smirked. He was about to make the most extravagant show that they had ever seen. Even though the girl was a devil fruit user her body was tiny and frail and he would relish the screams he forced from her with every cut. He jumped high up in the air, leaping over his captain and landing on a unicycle he had magically brought out from under his coat. He charged Luffy, his sword in his hand, the blade almost thirsting for her blood.

"You may call me Acrobat Cabaji, Captain Buggy's second mate. You will pay for your insolence!" As he was about to reach Luffy, he was suddenly halted by Zoro's katana, the pirate hunter stepping in front of the straw hat girl. Zoro had seen the way Cabaji had smirked at his captain and there was no way he was letting that sick bastard anywhere near her.

"I'll clash swords with you" Zoro smirked coldly.

"It's an honor, Roronoa Zoro. As a Swordsman myself, I relish this chance to slay you." Then Cabaji noticed that Zoro's wound was still soaked with blood. Luffy noticed as well and rushed to Zoro's side.

"Zoro, you should rest. Let me handle this guy."

Zoro refused to look at her, refused to break eye contact with the enemy in front of him, and he knew if he looked at Luffy she would find a way to convince him to let her fight. He would not let this Cabaji guy get any pleasure from fighting his captain. Even a small strike against her, a tiny splash of blood, would make this creep happy and Zoro knew it. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Luffy was about to protest but Zoro interrupted her.

"Captain…have faith in me. I can beat this guy and I will NOT back down from a sword fight." He didn't look at her but Zoro could feel her gaze on him, feel her gaze soften before he heard her sigh. She nodded, knowing Zoro was serious and that she wouldn't be able to change his mind, and took a few steps back, giving her first mate a confident smile that he could feel. Zoro gave a short nod in return, chest swelling with pride; knowing his captain trusted in him gave him a shot of adrenaline and his hand tightened on the handle of his sword as he readied himself for the fight.

A wicked smirk came to Cabaji's face as he thought of an idea. 'That's the stab wound that the Captain inflected on this fool.'

"You know," Cabaji smirked, eyes sliding over to the straw hat girl and giving her a once over. "You should've listened to your _cute_ little captain, because you're about to be in a world of hurt, Arsonist Technique!" Zoro's eyes narrowed when Cabaji almost purred out the word 'cute' and slid his gaze from the green haired swordsman to glance at Luffy, but before he could push the acrobat back and attack, Cabaji blew a small stream of fire at Zoro's face. Luckily, Zoro manged to block the blazing heat using his katana, but Cabaji's plan wasn't to actually burn Zoro, no, just to get him to leave his body wide open. He smirked as he swung his right leg out and slammed his foot into Zoro's wound. Both Luffy and Nami gasped as Zoro screamed and dropped to his knees. He hissed at the pain in his left side, it felt like it was on fire, and Cabaji chuckled darkly.

"I didn't even kick you that hard, Roronoa Zoro."

"That guy plays dirty! Going after his injury like that." Nami was utterly disgusted with that Cabaji guy but Luffy just stood silently next to her. She appeared to be calm but her fists were clenched tightly at her sides and she could feel her blood boiling on the inside. She wanted nothing more than to bash that guy's head till his skull shattered but she remained still, because this was Zoro's fight and she would not intervene, no matter what. And then Cabaji stabbed the tip of his sword into the ground.

"Acrobat Technique: Murder at the Steam Bath!" He spun his sword around quickly, a cloud of dust forming and concealing Cabaji from Zoro.

"Acrobat my ass, it just an ordinary dust cloud." Zoro grumbled in annoyance, forcing himself to his knees as he tried to breathe through the pain. But Zoro what didn't know was that Cabaji was using this as a part of his sickening game. Zoro saw something glint in the cloud of dust to his left and brought two of his swords up as Cabaji charged out of the dust, ready to slice him in half. Zoro easily blocked the attack but once again Cabaji swung his leg out and hit at Zoro's unprotected wound. The pirate hunter screamed in agony as the strength of the kick sent him sliding across the ground, the burning ache on his left side flaring up again. Luffy's eyes were as wide as saucers. Seeing her first mate in pain was far worse than any pain she herself had ever been in and she dug her nails deeper into her palms, fighting the urge to charge in.

'I promised him, I'd only get in his way if I tried to help. This is your fight Zoro and I trust you, kick this guy's ass! Don't make me have to help you, you would never forgive me for that.' She brought herself out of her thoughts and forced herself to keep watching Zoro's battle against Cabaji.

"What's this?! It's such a disgrace to see a grown man on the ground moaning. I suppose now you can see how foolish it was to make an enemy of the Buggy Pirates." Cabaji laughed darkly as he watched the great Roronoa Zoro, Demon of the East Blue, bent over on the ground, groveling. His eyes slide to the two girls standing on the side lines and licked his lips. Nami was not sure how much longer she could stand to see Zoro like this. It amazed her that he had managed to survive this long with such an injury; even an inhuman person like him couldn't take much more of this.

"To keep fighting with such a bad injury, it's suicidal! He's hurt so bad, I don't know how he's managing to stay in the fight." Then she turned her head sharply to glare at Luffy, who had done nothing to stop the fight.

"Why are you just standing there?! Aren't you going to do something about this?! Don't you care what happens to him?!" She shouted angrily. She knew Luffy cared about Zoro and yet she was just standing there, her expression blank, Nami couldn't understand it. Luffy kept her gaze firmly on Zoro, completely ignoring Nami's shout. She didn't bother to answer her because she didn't need to. Her job was to watch as Zoro strove to get back on his feet, wordlessly believing in him and sending her support. He would win this battle!

And then Cabaji smirked suddenly and said.

"Roronoa Zoro, this fight is finished, and your captain is next!" He spun his pedals as he charged at Zoro with his sword ready.

"You annoying little bastard" Zoro hissed as he got up from the ground, how dare Cabaji try and goad him. He would not lose to him, would not let Luffy face this creep.

"Are you having fun poking at my wound? Then GO AHEAD!" He glared demonically at the approaching Cabaji and then to everyone's complete shock, Zoro let Cabaji stab right through his wound, causing fresh blood to soak his haramaki and drip to the ground. No one could believe it, even though they were seeing it with their very eyes. Zoro had just stood there and let Cabaji hurt him even worse, even Cabaji was stunned that Zoro hadn't tried to dodge. What shocked him even more was that Zoro didn't even flinch as the sword gored its way through his flesh, and when he pulled the sword back out, the swordsman still didn't make a single move. He silently wondered if what he had heard about Zoro was really true, that he was an unholy demon who was not afraid of death itself. He stared at Zoro who had bent his head down, shadowing his eyes under his bandana.

"Why didn't you evade the attack?!" Nami shrieked.

"Is that enough of a handicap for ya?" Zoro lifted his head up and smirked threateningly.

"And now, let me show you just how superior my skills are to yours." Cabaji recoiled at the look on Zoro's face, it sent shivers down his spine. This man was not like any of the other men he had killed, no, this one…this one was a monster of hell.

"YEAH, ZORO! SHOW HIM WHO'S BOSS!" Luffy cheered, slight relief in her tone. The amount of blood he had lost was worrying her.

"You fool, you have made a vast error in judgment! I won't be mocked," Cabaji snarled, forcing himself to retake his fighting stance and finish Zoro off despite his mind's warnings.

"My swords aim to be the World's Greatest…I refuse to lose even once to anyone who calls themselves a swordsmen," Zoro said as he pulled out his prized sword, his Wado Ichimonji.

"I see…a strong resolve keeps you going but have no fear, wounds as bad as yours are more than enough of an excuse…to lose to me." Cabaji pointed his blade towards Zoro in a threatening way, smirking at the injured swordsman.

"To hell with that! If I lose to someone like you with these minimal injuries, than I don't have a very bright future, do I?" Zoro put his Wado between his teeth as Cabaji seethed angrily at Zoro's insult. He would take his time in killing him, he would wipe that dark smirk off the green-haired man's face. Luffy cheered Zoro on from the sidelines, Nami standing behind the small pirate with her arms crossed over her chest. She really couldn't take much more of this.

"I won't stay and watch this, you pirates can stand around for the rest of time and kill each other for all I care!" She hissed, turning to walk away, finally fed up. Luffy turned her head from watching Zoro to just stare at Nami.

"And it doesn't matter to me whether you guys win or lose, so I'm going to take this opportunity to swipe their treasure and get out of here. Who knows maybe we get to team up if we ever see each other again, so see ya and good luck with the fight!" Nami grinned smugly and gave Luffy a short wave before turning and running back into the alley.

"Okay, see ya and thanks!" Luffy just returned the wave with a smile, turning back to Zoro's fight.

"Here is a taste of my ultimate Acrobatic move," Cabaji said as he held out his hands. On his palms were a variety of spinning tops. Zoro had no idea what those were for but he couldn't let his guard down, not after all the dirty tricks Cabaji had been throwing at him. Suddenly, Cabaji yelled.

"Acrobat Technique: Dance of 100 Kamikaze Tops!" He swept his arms out, unleashing hundreds of spinning tops and throwing them in Zoro's direction, but Zoro just stood his ground and prepared himself for another showdown.

* * *

Nami was currently taking the long way around on her way to the remains of Buggy's hideout, knowing he had hidden his treasure and the chart in the basement of the building. She stopped for a second and turned her head to look in the direction where she had left Luffy and Zoro, both still fighting the ruthless Buggy Pirates.

"They're not normal, both Luffy and Zoro are completely crazy. If I joined up with them... I can tell nothing good would come of it," she muttered to herself, returning to the task at hand. When she reached the end of the alley, she spotted Buggy but he was too focused on the fight between Cabaji and Zoro and she was able to quietly sneak past him towards the remains of the bar. She began to rummage through the debris as quietly as she could, attempting to find the secret door that she had located earlier.

Mere seconds later she let out a silent cheer as she revealed the door hidden under a few wooden support beams. She opened it and quickly walked down the stairs, shutting the door after her. The orangette spotted a passed out pirate sitting near the entrance that looked like he had drank too much sake. It didn't matter to her right now, he didn't look like he was going to wake up any time soon so she walked past him towards the locked door at the end of the isle. She knew that behind the door was the prized treasures and the chart of the Grand Line so she took out her Bō staff and readied her attack.

"Now I steal their treasure and the chart and get the hell out of here!" She muttered as she slammed her staff into the lock, hitting it dead center and breaking it instantly.

* * *

Back with Zoro, the swordsman was being kept busy slicing each and every one of the tops, cutting them perfectly in half and using very little effort on his part. He began to wonder absently about the effectiveness of the attack but then he saw Cabaji smirk again.

"Acrobat Technique: A Hike in the Mountains!" Cabaji turned and rode straight up the walls and before Zoro could even try and predict what the other man's attack would be, Cabaji leapt off of the top of the wall, high into the air.

"Fireworks in the Cool Summer Breeze!" He yelled from above.

"Whoa, that's high!" Luffy commented, slightly impressed. She stared up at the flying Cabaji while putting her hand on her forehead to keep the sunlight from hitting her eyes, a little curious as to what the man's next move would be.

"Sting of the Unicycle," as Cabaji positioned his sword towards Zoro, preparing to drop straight down and skewer the injured pirate hunter, Buggy held out his right arm and yelled.

"Chop-Chop Cannon!" His hand came off at the wrist and launched at the unsuspecting Zoro like it had been shot from a cannon.

"Cabaji, I'll hold him, then you finish him off" Buggy shouted, grinning.

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Cabaji called as he began to fall, more than ready to finish this fight. He could use Zoro's head as a trophy and then take his time with the man's still cheering captain. Zoro cursed; if he sliced Buggy's hand he'd only end up as cubes for Cabaji, but if he let Buggy's hand grab him he'd end up dead anyway. He was in a tight situation and everyone there knew it. Suddenly, Luffy was moving, slamming her foot into Buggy's hand and stomping it to the ground, stopping his interference. Buggy winced in pain as Zoro dodged Cabaji's attack in the nick of time.

"You little bitch!" Buggy shouted at her.

Luffy grinned, somewhat sadistically."This is Zoro's fight. Stay out of it. If you wanna fight someone, then how about me?"

* * *

Nami lit a small lamp she had found, using one of the leftover matches that the pirates had given her earlier. As the light illuminated the room, she noticed the huge pile of treasure stacked in the center of the room and her eyes widened, sparkling like diamonds.

"Look at all this stuff! And every last berri is mine!" She laughed with glee as she scooped some of the treasure into her hands, loving the feeling of solid valuable gold within her grasp. She saw a gold crown on top of the pile and quickly grabbed it and placed it on top of her head, posing and thinking that she probably looked like a princess. Her fun ended when a sword appeared in her peripheral vision, blade pointed ominously towards her face. She dropped the crown and turned to see the same Pirate who had been knocked out at the entrance was now awake and looking very flushed.

"What do you think you're doing with our treasure?" he slurred.

'Oh crap, this is not good, not good at all!' Nami thought fearfully, eyes darting from side to side as she attempted to think of a way out.

"By the order of Captain Buggy, anyone who gets near the treasure will be…" before he could finish his sentence he glanced down at the bottle in his hand. It appeared to be empty and he tipped it over, checking to see if there was any sake left. He raised it to his eyes and looked through the hole before whining.

"Uhh~ it's all gone," he slurred, his high pitched whine like that of a child. Nami smirked, thinking of a great idea. She quickly dropped to one knee and clutched at her chest, pretending to be in pain.

"Ow, it hurts," Nami grunted, catching the pirate's attention.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"My chest hurts really bad."

"Your…chest?" The pirate glanced down at Nami's chest. She had leaned forward to make it more visible and the pirate took the bait, drooling like a pervert. Nami smirked, pleased her plan had worked before quickly reaching for the three pieces of her Bo staff attached to her right thigh. Faster than he could blink she had assembled the three parts and smacked the drunk pirate upside the head. She giggled slightly as he crumpled into a heap on the ground before noticing several keys strapped around his neck. One was gold and glinted faintly in the candle light. She snatched the keys up and glanced around the room, quickly spotting a wooden box with a gold lock on it. The their made her way over to the box and unlocked it before slowly lifting the lid.

'Score!' she thought cheerfully, staring down at the rolled chart of the Grand Line.

* * *

Buggy ground his teeth angrily, the move producing a chain saw like sound, when Luffy shot him a cocky smirk, still standing on his hand. Zoro knelt on the ground a short distance away, panting hard, starting to feel dizzy because of the amount of blood he had lost.

"Hehehehe, I assure you that I don't need my captain's aid to finish you off." Cabaji huffed confidently, slightly put off by Luffy's interference..

"Shut…up, I'm tired of this." Zoro hissed back, panting between each word. Cabaji laughed at him humorlessly.

"So you've finally given up, have you? Though I must say, I'm quite impressed that you lasted this long with such a serious injury." Cabaji's tone grew even more smug as he stared down at Zoro, thinking he had won.

"I think you misunderstood." Zoro huffed. "I'm tired of facing someone with such pathetic skills. It's a waste of my time." His disinterest angered Cabaji.

"So sorry that I have disappointed you." Cabaji exclaimed, charging Zoro, ready to unleash his final move." How about I show you my real Swordsmen skill?!" Luffy watched silently, cheering Zoro on in her head with everything she had. Buggy just watched the final confrontation with a grin. He knew who the victor would be. Zoro just rose to his feet silently, crossing his arms over his chest, one sword on each side of his head with his Wado clutched tightly between his teeth. He glanced up from under his bandana and smirked.

"Oni Giri!" Before Cabaji could perform any kind of counter, Zoro slid past him, cutting through him by swinging the swords across his chest, resulting in a descending diagonal-crossing slash from both swords while the mouth blade performed a horizontal cut.

"CABAJI!" Buggy could not believe that his second mate was defeated by Roronoa Zoro with only one attack. Cabaji had never lost before. Luffy just smiled proudly, releasing Buggy's hand from under her sandal.

"I can't believe the Buggy Pirates were defeated by petty thieves." Cabaji muttered, falling from his unicycle with a heavy thud, completely unconscious by the time he hit the ground.

"For your information, we are not petty thieves, we're real Pirates." Zoro replied calmly, sliding his swords back into their sheathes. After making sure that Cabaji would not be getting back up he allowed himself to wobble slightly, the blood loss finally starting to catch up to him. His vision swam before his eyes and he was about to fall when suddenly Luffy was behind him, supporting him. The raven-haired girl slowly and carefully lowered her first mate to the ground, wincing when he grunted in pain. His eyes cracked open to stare at her for a second before they closed again and he sighed, completely exhausted.

"Lu...? I'm going…to sleep." He wasn't concerned about leaving the rest of it to his captain. Luffy could handle Buggy now that the creep had been taken care of.

"Okay," Luffy smiled, giggling as Zoro started to snore softly. She ruffled Zoro's hair before standing back up. "I guess it's my turn, Buggy." She laughed, walking away from Zoro and getting into her fighting stance, ready to go. Buggy growled angrily, the sound like a rabid animal, this girl was way too cocky. He would show her.

* * *

Nami rounded a corner, dragging a large sack of treasure behind her, feeling like the bag was growing heavier with every step. She stopped for a second, needing a slight breather. Wiping at her forehead, she stood straight, attempting to stretch out the growing cramp in her lower back. She sighed with relief, the bag was a lot heavier than she had originally thought.

"I scored an impressive amount of treasure from the Buggy Pirates. Who knew that clown had managed to accumulate so much. I didn't expect it to be so heavy though." She sighed again before freezing, remembering Luffy and Zoro, wondering if they were still fighting for their lives in the town square. And they weren't just fighting for themselves but for the sake of the town and all the citizens in it, people they had no obligation to help. It still confused her that there were pirates like them that would do...good things, act heroically. She shook her head, dismissing the weird thought and turned back to the bag of loot.

"Anyway, I need to get back to my boat and high tail it out of here." As she was about to resume pulling the sack, a nagging feeling in her heart stopped her from going any further. Being around Luffy had reminded Nami of herself, granted, the girl was a more scatterbrained version of herself. Her heart swelled with guilt as she thought of Luffy, she had just left the girl there. Before she even realized it she was unconsciously turning her head in the direction of the town square where Luffy and Zoro were fighting, a distant and somewhat sad look on her face.

* * *

"You guys are Pirates?!" Buggy asked incredulously, not sure he had heard the green swordsman correctly.

"That's right! We're searching for the Grand Line!" Luffy replied happily, a large grin on her face, completely missing the disbelief and contempt in Buggy's voice.

"HA! That's not a place you can just casually go to, idiot. Even if you two halfwits managed to make it there, what would you do? Go sightseeing or something?" Buggy began to laugh at his own joke, finding the whole situation a little humorous. A girl like this, going to the Grand Line? Preposterous. Luffy just watched him blankly, not quite understanding the reason he was laughing, before replying to the obviously rhetorical question.

"I'm gonna be the first ever Queen of the Pirates." She said calmly. Buggy choked on his laugh, his eyes bugging out of his head in shock.

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS, YOU IDIOT! There is no way you can be the Pirate Queen! A girl like you?! There can only be a Pirate King, KING! And that title, along with all of the treasure, belongs to me!" Buggy angrily bared his teeth at her. "So stop dreaming!

"You know, you talk too much," Luffy sighed, starting to get a little annoyed. "Just bring it on clown guy." She stepped back into her fighting stance, left hand gripping her right bicep, as Buggy let his eight knives drop down into his hands.

"Seeing that Straw Hat of yours brings back memories. Reminds me of that man and that really pisses me off. Bring it on you little wannabe, I'll take my frustrations against that cheeky red-haired bastard on you!" Buggy was hissing by the end, his anger flaring up just thinking of him.

"Red-haired? Wait a minute, you said red-haired?! Do you mean Shanks? You know Shanks?!" Luffy asked, getting excited. Maybe he would know where he was. Luffy hadn't heard anything about Shanks since he left 10 years ago and she was curious.

"What?" Buggy asked, confused at the girl's sudden change in mood. "So what if I know him?"

"Do you know where he is now? How is he doing? Benn, Yasopp, Lucky Roo and the others? Are they ok?" Luffy began to spit out one question after another, her eyes shining with excitement.

"I don't know. It depends Straw Hat; maybe I do and maybe I don't." Buggy grinned watching the excited girl, the grin almost sadistic looking.

"What do you mean?…you forget where he is or something?... Are you an idiot?" Luffy asked, slightly confused.

"NO, I DIDN'T FORGET YOU STUPID LITTLE GIRL! But I'm not going to tell you what you want to know out of the kindness of my heart. I'm not that nice of a guy." Buggy scoffed, raising his knives, watching as the girl grinned and settled back into her fighting stance.

"Fine than. I'll make you talk."

"HAHAHA, you can try little girl, but you'll be dead before you get to ask! Rubber can't bounce back knives." Buggy chuckled, stamping his feet and releasing the two knives in the front soles of his shoes.

Luffy watched Buggy carefully, knowing he would make the first move and preparing her own counter attack. Nami slid to the end of one of the buildings at the edge of the plaza and glanced around the corner, just in time to watch the fight between Luffy and Buggy begin, Captain vs. Captain.

"Chop-Chop Rice Cracker!" Buggy raised himself off the ground and threw his lower half, cartwheeling it across the ground towards Luffy. Timing it just right, Luffy jumped up, her legs spread wide, allowing the attack to pass harmlessly beneath her. Buggy just grinned.

"When you're in the air I can predict your movements," he chuckled, readying the eight knives in his hands and tossing them towards the airborne girl.

Luffy smirked, grabbing her hat with one hand and sticking her tongue out at Buggy. "Who says you can, stupid!" Stretching her arm and gripping the post of a porch to her right, Luffy allowed herself to be yanked towards the house, easily missing Buggy's knives. Buggy ground his teeth in annoyance as his lower half was returned to him, this girl was starting to be a pain.

"Ho ho, how interesting." Buggy said, not showing his frustration.

"You're not so bad yourself but it's my turn now! Gum-Gum Pistol!" Luffy jumped back into her fighting stance and shot her fist forward with blinding speed, stretching it and aiming straight for Buggy's head.

"Chop-Chop Quick Escape!" Buggy's head separated from the rest of his body, causing Luffy's attack to go straight through him and her fist slammed into the wall, creating a huge crater. Buggy laughed as his head floated around the plaza once before returning to his body.

"Not good enough, little girl," He sanf, sticking out his tongue in an imitation of her previous taunt.

Luffy threw a few more punches but they always had the same effect, she would aim and Buggy would detach the limb and dodge her before taunting the younger girl. Luffy was starting to get annoyed, her teeth grinding together.

"Damn it! You keep breaking into pieces, you stupid!" She hissed and Buggy laughed insanely.

"I can't believe they're still fighting?! These two are insane, it's like watching a dream." Nami muttered, her eyes wide as she continued to watch the crazy fight that was still ongoing. She wasn't the only one watching the fight either. A few of the Buggy pirates had finally regained consciousness and were now watching the fight, shock and disbelief on their faces.

"Did you see that?!" one of them muttered.

"Be quiet! Act like you're still unconscious. If we get involved in this we'll never get out of here alive," another said all of them turning to focus back on the freakiest fight they had ever seen, cold sweats breaking out across their bodies.

"Chop-Chop Cannon!" Buggy shot out one forearm with 4 daggers in his hand, one clasped between each finger. Luffy easily caught the arm before it could reach her face but Buggy just grinned, the idiot had walked right into his trap and now she would pay for it.

"Separate!" Buggy detached his fist from his forearm, continuing his forward attack as if Luffy had not stopped him. Squeaking in surprise, Luffy let go of his forearm and jumped to the side, missing most of the attack. Instead of slamming into her face, the knives grazed her cheek, leaving a few deep scratches back towards her ear. Buggy began to laugh manically at the sight of the blood dripping down her face.

"How do you like that you cocky little bitch?!" His gleeful expression faltered after a few seconds and then faded into a confused frown when Luffy didn't reply. She just stood there, unmoving, with blood oozing down her face, eyes hidden under her hair as she stared at the straw hat in her hand. Buggy's attack had caught the edge of her hat, causing a tear in the brim.

"YOU BASTARD!" She screamed, her eyes filled with rage and teeth bared.

"Aww, did I scratch your pretty little face?" Buggy asked, taunting the raven-haired girl. Who knew the raven haired girl was so worried about her appearance. The way she dressed certainly didn't make him think she cared about fashion.

Luffy stared down at her hat, fighting the urge to cry as her blood boiled just beneath her skin. Luffy's hat meant the world to her, if there was even a tiny smudge on her hat, she would snap like an animal on a rampage. Her eyes that normally held happiness and showed off her carefree spirit were now filled with an absolute, crazed fury.

"Bastard, how dare you damage this hat. No one damages my lucky hat and walks away from it alive!" She rose to her feet as she yelled, eyes laser focused on Buggy's face. "THIS HAT IS MY ONLY TREASURE! I WON'T FORGIVE ANYONE WHO SO MUCH AS LAYS A FINGER ON IT!" Her tone was dark and cut through the air like knives, a sound that would make even sea kings whine in fear. Buggy raised his eyebrow at Luffy, not expecting her to react so harshly over a silly hat. Nami, who was still watching the fight from the sidelines, was stunned to see Luffy, carefree, scatterbrained Luffy, screaming at Buggy with such rage that she hardly recognized the girl. Suddenly she recalled what the raven-haired girl had told her earlier.

_"I made a promise on this hat. I promised the man who gave me it that I would form the world's best crew and become the first ever Queen of the Pirates!"_

"And here I thought that she couldn't take anything seriously. But just look at her, getting so upset over a scratch in her hat." Nami couldn't tell if she was impressed or just shocked at the girl's passion. Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she continued to watch the battle, the tables starting to turn in Buggy's favor. Luffy ground her teeth as she held the hat to her chest in a gentle manner, as if sheltering it, and Buggy smiled wickedly, suddenly having an evil idea.

"It seems that hat has a history to it, is it really all that special?" He scoffed, trying to bait the girl. Luffy didn't replay, just continued to glare heatedly at him, not noticing that Buggy's arm was still floating behind her back, knives grasped tightly between the fingers. He threw one of the daggers at Luffy, setting his plan into motion, and forcing her to dodge. She heard the whoosh or the dagger and saw the movement out of the corner of her eye. Thanks to her fast reflexes she was able to throw herself to the side, avoiding the dagger but unknowingly spreading her arms wide with her hat held in her outstretched hand.

"If it's that important…YOU SHOULD PROTECT IT PROPERLY!" The remaining knives, still held in Buggy's hand, shot forward, piercing the crown of her hat and yanking it out of her hand. Luffy had lost her footing on the wooden debris as she dodged the last knife and was forced to watch, in what felt like slow motion, her hat be yanked out of her grasp, horror and despair written all over her face. She felt like her heart had been torn, just like her hat, as an image of her best friend and father figure appeared in her mind.

*_Flashback_*

_"DDDDIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE"_

_Higuma screamed but he could do nothing as the sea king devoured the bandit with one bite. Luffy watched in horror as the creature turned his gaze towards her. It charged but with one word from Shanks it was suddenly gone as Luffy clung to him, sobbing._

_"S-S-S-Shanks," she whispered, shaking like a leaf. Shanks…the Captain of Red-Haired pirates, had sacrificed his left arm to the sea king to save her._

_"Are you okay, Lu? You're not hurt, are you?" he asked in a concerned tone._

_Shanks held Luffy with his one remaining arm as the 7 year old sobbed into his chest and clutched at his shirt, afraid that if she let go he would disappear._

_"I'm in your debt Luffy. Makino told us everything, how you stood up for us, how you were willing to fight for us and put yourself on the line." Shanks said softly, kissing her forehead._

_"But Shanks 'sob' your arm 'hic' YOUR ARM!"_

_"In that case, I'll leave this hat to you. It means more to me than anything in the world so you better take good care of it, you hear me?" Shanks said, entrusting his most valuable position to Luffy. She never would've thought that Shanks would do that and she had never felt so flattered or so grateful to him and she started to cry with happiness._

_"I want you to bring this hat back to me someday, in good condition, and only once you've become the Queen of the Pirates. That's our promise, Luffyko."_

*_End Flashback_*

As the vision faded from her mind Luffy hit the ground with a loud thud, watching as Buggy's hand flew back to its owner, knives still shoved through the brim of her hat. Buggy looked down at it as if it was the lousiest thing he had ever seen, as if it was nothing but junk.

"How is this tattered old hat a treasure? HAHAHAHA! Treasure is sparkling gold, silver, and jewels that shine and show off the owner's class. You really consider this worthless dirty straw hat a treasure? You need to grow up, little girl!" Then Buggy laughed, angering Luffy even more.

"Shut up," she screamed, clenching her fists as she rose to her knees. "That's Shanks' hat! He gave it to me and I promised to give it back!"

"What! You mean to tell me that this used be Shanks' hat?" The disgust in Buggy's voice was clear. "No wonder it looked so familiar." He tossed the hat to the ground with a mixed look of loathing and disgust.

"He always wore it when I knew him," He continued, causing Luffy to gasp.

"You and Shanks were on the same ship?!" Her eyes widened in surprise and disbelief.

"Yeah, back when we were pirates in training we were fellow comrades…that damned, annoying red haired bastard." Then Buggy lifted his foot and stomped on the hat angrily.

Luffy gasped, her anger tripling as she watched. Not only was that stupid clown trying to destroy her precious hat but he was bad mouthing Shanks as well. She howled in anger and stumbled to her feet before charging at Buggy.

"Shanks is a better man than you'll ever be! You have no right to call him comrade and DON'T YOU EVER BADMOUTH HIM AGAIN!" As she ran forward she drew her fist back into her pistol stance, ready to punch the bastard of a clown right in his face. But Buggy saw her attack coming and quickly yelled.

"Chop-Chop Quick Escape!" He detached his head from his body to avoid harm, thinking that Luffy was going for the same attack she had used last time but the small girl changed her attack position mid-stride and instead swung her leg out and kicked him right in the gut. Buggy wheezed, his body falling back onto the ground as his head floated slowly down next to it. He was cursing the girl silently, angry that he been fooled by her cheap trick.

"Don't you ever say you and Shanks are comrades again!" Luffy snarled, foot still raised in the air where she had kicked him. Buggy coughed multiple times as he tried to get air back into his deflated lungs, his head slowly reattaching itself to his body. "I can say what I want about Shanks, you little brat." Luffy just stormed over to him and grabbed the front of his shirt, lifting him up to her eye level.

"Tell me what happened between you and Shanks! Spit it out big nose!" She hissed at the clown pirate, her tone demanding he answer, and implying silently that there would be pain if he refused. "Damn it! How dare you do that to my hat!"

Buggy just coughed again before replying.

"Do you really want to know?" His eyes flashing with fury as he remembered the bastard, the one who had ruined his life forever.

"He is the one person I loathe. The one person I can never forgive. I will curse his name for the rest of my life."

* * *

Another chapter down! Phew, I love getting to write an overprotective Zoro. And if you didn't notice, I don't much care for Cabaji. He was arrogant and annoying and I could totally picture him being a creep like that. Just another excuse for Zoro to kick his ass! Looking forward to Luffy's fight tomorrow. We get to see her be bad-ass and take out Buggy! This chapter she has really started showing her more serious side and we'll see more of it next chapter.

Just an advance notice that the next chapter might be a few hours late as well because I haven't even finished editing it yet and it's 4 in the morning here and I work in a few hours so... Anyway, as much as I complain, I absolutely love doing this and all the reviews and story alerts keep me going.

I hope you loved the chapter as much as I liked writing/editing it.

Til tomorrow!


	8. Final Showdown

I must beg forgiveness for the late chapter. These past few days have been SOOOO busy. Well, here it is, the fight between Luffy and Buggy! This chapter isn't one of my favorites but I am happy to have it posted because one of my top 3 favorite chapters is next!

Thank you for all the fantastic reviews! I really cherish them!

Thank you Shirani-Chan, Shizuka Taiyou, ZoLuFanGirl98, and VampireFreak4Eterity!

A special shout out to ChemGirl, who is one of the writers I have borrowed from. I am honored that you like what I have done and I hope I can live up to your expectations.

This is not completely my story. Some conversations and parts have been borrowed from other Fem!Luffy and LuffyxZoro fanfictions. However, most of this has been completely redone and rewritten by me.

The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you)

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

* * *

Devil Fruit Power Final Showdown

Follow your dream. Take one step at a time and don't settle for less, just continue to climb. Follow your dream. If you stumble, don't stop and lose sight of your goal press to the top. For only on top can we see the whole view, can we see what we've done and what we can do; can we then have the vision to seek something new, press on. Follow your dream….by Amanda Bradley.

* * *

The battle had already been going on for far longer than anyone could have ever guessed it would. Both combatants covered in scrapes and bruises and those watching the fight were amazed either of them could still stand. It was a tougher fight than either expected it would be and even captain Buggy could admit that his fight with Luffy was proving to be quite entertaining. But even though she was a good fighter he was still far too angry. This idiotic, tiny girl had somehow befriended the man he hated more than anything in the world, the man who had ruined his life…Red-Haired Shanks.

"In all my life, I've never met a man who pissed me off as much as he did. That bastard Shanks cost me countless riches." Even after all of these years Buggy was still furious at his one time comrade. "I don't know how you're related to him, but I can say whatever I want about that cocky bastard. I deserve that much," Luffy watched him impassively, curious as to what could have happened between Buggy and Shanks to make him hate her idol this much.

"Then tell me what happened!" she finally demanded, fed up with his whining.

"It all happened a long time ago, back when I was still a pirate apprentice and Shanks and I were crew-mates on the same ship." As Buggy began to explain, his frown deepened and he growled, remembering what Shanks had done to him in the past always made him furious.

*_Flashback_*

_On the deck of a ship, a bunch of pirates gathered in a circle around two young teenagers, cheering them both on. The two had gotten into a fight over which place was coldest in the world. On one side was a young boy of about seventeen years, with short red hair. He was wearing a light blue and black striped shirt, dark blue pants, and a very familiar straw hat. On the other was another boy of approximately 17 years with blue hair. This one wore a white shirt with burgundy stripes on the shoulders, brown pants, and a knit hat. This was before either of them became famous, one as captain of the red-haired pirates, the other as the most notorious pirate of the East Blue, Buggy the Clown._

_"The North pole," Buggy shouted._

_"No, South pole!" Shanks shouted back._

_"There you go again!"_

_"That's right and I can say it as many times as I want because I'm right, you clown!"_

_"Ho ho, you have lots of guts, let's fight to see who's right."_

_"Well come on then, let's fight."_

_"Bring it on! I'm going to beat the crap out of you." Both yelled and jumped at each other, their verbal argument devolving into punches and bites, both trying to determine who was better and smarter than the other. The crowd cheered and took bets on who was going to be the victor but their fun was cut short when a tall blond haired man stepped into the middle of the circle and smacked both teens upside the head._

_"Enough of this, North Pole or the South Pole. Who cares which one is colder?! If you really want to know, why don't you go there and find out!" The tall man said, annoyed that the two idiots were fighting over something so ridiculous. The other pirates watched, laughing at the teen's idiocy. They had to admit that the fighting made a good show for them though._

_Shanks and Buggy continued to glare at each other, both massaging their throbbing heads, almost feeling like their skull had split in two. All of sudden, a man from the Crow's Nest shouted a warning down to his crew mates, he had sighted an enemy ship and it was heading their way._

_"Alright, prepare for launch, time to fight." The tall blonde man ordered and the crew replied with a chorus of "Hell, yeah!" Buggy began to smirk, he had been bored out of his mind and itching for a fight, not to mention he would get to steal their valuables._

_"Alright, I'm going to grab everything I get my hands on!" said Buggy and Shanks noticed that his demeanor had changed into happy one. He too had been bored and was looking forward to a good fight._

_"You look happy, Buggy," Shanks said, smiling._

_"Of course! The enemy ship is like a treasure chest. A pirate takes from others, right?" Buggy exclaimed as he got up and drew out his two blades._

_"Well, that is one of the reasons," spoke Shanks honestly._

_"No, no, you and all the Pirates on this ship are too naïve! Taking treasure from people is what pirates do, you know nothing about being a Pirate!" Buggy sighed, taunting him a bit but Shanks still smiled and didn't appear affected by the insult. He and Buggy might seem like two completely different people but they did have one thing in common, they both loved to fight._

_The two ships came alongside each other and opened fire, the sound of cannons and breaking wood filling the air. In terms of firepower Shanks, Buggy, and their crew-mates were winning and they sailed the ship closer so they could board. Shanks and Buggy were two of the first to leap to the enemy's deck and Buggy slashed at an enemy pirate who had dared to call him a bad word. As he turned to move on to the next enemy Buggy saw a piece of rolled paper sticking out of the pirates shirt. He quickly grabbed it and unrolled the paper, eyes widening as he took in what was on the stiff and ripped piece of parchment._

_"This is...?! It's a treasure map, this is the first time I've ever seen one, incredible" Buggy's eyes quickly scanned the map and eventually zeroed in on an 'X' mark painted just south of an island, directly over the blue sea._

_"So the treasure is buried beneath the sea." And then Buggy's thoughts turned to his crew. If they found out about the treasure map he had stolen then he'd have to share it... unless then never knew he had it. Then he could find the treasure and keep it all for himself. Glancing around nervously, he quickly hid the rolled parchment it under his shirt, smirking darkly._

_'Alright, my life is going to be a lot more exciting from now on!'_

* * *

_Nighttime came quickly, the moon shining high in the starry sky, a perfect night to host a celebration. The celebration of another victory and the claiming of a host of stolen items from the enemy ship. While the pirates were up and partying, Buggy had secluded himself on the foredeck, on the roof of the ship's kitchen, his legs crossed in front of him as he admired the treasure map. A vast treasure hidden under the sea. Buggy grinned eagerly, itching to go after the treasure now when a shout caused him to jump._

_"Hey Buggy!" Buggy cringed when he recognized the voice and sure enough the red-haired idiot rounded the corner, holding his bottle of sake in one hand, face flushed as red as his hair._

_"Aren't you going to celebrate with everyone? We managed to steal some pretty interesting loot this time." Shanks tilted his head in a confused manner, the movement causing him to stumble slightly as he tried to regain his balance. Buggy panicked, thinking he had been discovered and he quickly came up with an excuse as he slid the map quickly into his shirt._

_"I-I never stole anything! I don't know anything about it!" Shanks looked at Buggy oddly, blinking his eyes as his inebriated brain tried to comprehend Buggy's words._

_"Huh, what are you talking about?"_

_"Uh…nothing" Buggy sighed in relief, thinking that his clever response had managed to fool the red-haired pirate. Shanks shrugged his shoulder, brushing off the odd exchange as he took a seat next to his crew-mate, staring dazedly at the full moon. They enjoyed the silence for a bit before Buggy decided to strike up a conversation with the teen next to him._

_"You said you would leave this ship one day, right? What do you plan to do after you leave?" Buggy asked, slightly curious._

_"I want to get my own ship, gather a group of trustworthy crew members, and slowly travel around the world... as pirates of course!" Shanks quickly added the last past, grinning over at the clown. Buggy just laughed a bit and said._

_"You're still too naïve"_

_"What did you say?"_

_"I do admire your combat skills, if you weren't so innocent, it'd be nice to have you as my first mate" Buggy sighed, shaking his head sadly._

_"Me, as your first mate? You're kidding!" Buggy was a little baffled that Shanks had turned down his deal, thinking it was the deal of lifetime. Shanks just took another sip of his sake smiled up at the sky._

_"We think so differently, its better if we go on our separate ways... as pirates of course." Buggy laughed again, part of it from Shanks' constant adding of the pirate line at the end of his sentences, and part of it from his crew-mate's naivety. _

_"Can you even become a pirate?" Buggy glanced at Shanks, his expression skeptical. "You do know though, that if we ever meet again on the sea, I'll have to kill you."_

_"Ah, pirates do those things too" said Shanks simply, a knowing smile on his face._

_"I really don't understand you at all." Buggy scoffed. They settled back into a comfortable silence for a few more minutes before Buggy remembered something that Shanks had said earlier._

_"Speaking of which, you said something about loot?"_

_"Ahhh~ I forgot about that!" Shanks exclaimed, grinning happily. "We found a devil fruit on the enemy ship."_

_"Devil Fruit?"_

_"Yeah, there's a rumor that says the fruit is the reincarnation of a sea devil. They say that if you eat it, you'll have the powers of a devil, but you won't be able to swim again." Shanks tried to explain what Raleigh had told him earlier when they had first uncovered the strange fruit. Buggy's eyebrows rose in surprise, that something like that even existed, a fruit that took away your ability to swim, it was just insane._

_"Anyone who eats that must be an idiot." Buggy scoffed and turned back to the night sky again. When Shanks had started his explanation Buggy had considered using the fruit's power to make himself even stronger, but after hearing that it took away his ability to swim he quickly changed his mind._

_'If I can't swim, then I won't be able to get the treasure at the bottom of the sea' Then Shanks began to talk again and Buggy tuned back in to the redhead's words in time to hear the end of his sentence._

_"….can sell the fruit for a hundred million Berri!"_

_"Oh, I see"_

…

…

…

_"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"_

* * *

_The next morning, Buggy stood before his crew on the kitchen roof, holding a large fruit in front of him. The devil fruit slightly resembled a pineapple with swirly patterns over the surface. The only think that proved that it wasn't a pineapple was the strange red color of the fruit._

_"I, Buggy the Pirate, will now eat the Devil Fruit!" Buggy declared, one of the crew laughed enthusiastically, admiring the boy's spirit._

_"I really admire you young ones," he chortled. "Never considering the consequences." _

_Buggy quickly shoved the entire fruit in his mouth, chewing it quickly, as the crew watched on with awe. They were curious to see if what the rumor has said was true, that the fruit would give you powers, but the seconds passed and nothing seemed to be happening. After a minute one of the crew asked._

_"Well Buggy, feel anything strange?"_

_"Uh, no…nothing." Buggy said, examining his body, as if he was trying to find something strange, a slight tingle or anything really, but he felt fine, pretty normal really. The crew sighed in disappointment, the fruit had turned out to be a fake all along, those so called devil fruits were nothing but a myth after all, and the crew slowly dispersed, heading back to their own duties. None of them noticed Buggy's mischievous smile._

* * *

_That night, Buggy had settled himself in a small wooden boat that he planned on using for escape. It was kind of an unexpected move for him but it was all part of his plan. That morning, Buggy had stolen the real devil fruit and replaced it with an exact replica that looked just like the real one. Then he pretended to eat the devil fruit to fool his crew-mates. Now Buggy had both the treasure map and the devil fruit, and he sat against the edge of the boat, thinking of how he would be the richest pirate in the world now._

_"Yes, the plan went smoothly," He muttered happily. "Those guys would never think that the one that I ate this morning was a fake. To be on the safe side, I should leave the ship before they start to suspect anything. After I sell this devil fruit and find the treasure on the map, I'll have enough money to form my own pirate crew." Buggy had formulated his plan down to the last detail and was preparing to set it into motion when out of the blue, Shanks appeared._

_"Hey Buggy!" Panicking, Buggy quickly did the first thing he thought of, he shoved the devil fruit into his mouth. It hid the fruit from Shanks but also made him look like a monkey with a long face._

_"What are you grumbling about?" Shanks asked, leaning his head on his arms, tilting his head in curiosity._

_"Oh, it's you." Buggy muttered in annoyance, the sound muffled by the devil fruit in his mouth. "Don't scare me like that." _

_Shanks just stared at Buggy oddly, wondering why his face looked so bloated, as if something large was shoved in his mouth. "What kind of an expression is that?"_

_Shanks rose back to his feet with a sigh. "If you're stealing food from the kitchen again, you'd better stop. You'll get scolded by the cook. He turned to walk away, waving at Buggy over his shoulder absently._

_Buggy wiped his forehead in relief, feeling the sweat dripping down his face. 'That was too close' he thought. But before he could relax fully Shanks reappeared, leaning against the wooden lifeboat. _

_"Oh yeah, I just remembered! The captain…" Buggy was so startled by Shanks' sudden reappearance that he accidentally swallowed the devil fruit whole._

…

…

…

_Buggy was frozen for a second, not really believing that he had actually done that, that Shanks had made him swallow the fruit. Now he wouldn't be able to swim, he couldn't get the treasure out of the ocean! He turned around quickly, his eyes darkening with rage, and grabbed the front of Shanks' shirt, shaking the red haired man._

_"SHANKS! YOU… YOU! MY... MY... MY... DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!?" Shanks has no idea what gotten into his friend, and glanced over his shoulder, noticing a piece of paper slowly floating away from the ship._

_"What's that paper over there?" he asked. Buggy quickly let go of Shanks and turned see his treasure map flying away, he screamed and, without thinking, leapt up onto the ship's railing and jumped off of the ship, intending to get his map back. _

"_Wha-?! Buggy!" Shanks yelled out, confused and a little worried._

_As soon as he hit the water though, his body was suddenly paralyzed. He felt exhausted, his limbs heavy, and his body wouldn't seem to respond to his commands. _

_'What the? I can't move! The rumor about not being able to swim is true! No way! He continued to try and move his hands and legs but no matter how much he struggled, his limbs wouldn't move an inch. All he could do was watch helplessly as he sank deeper into the dark sea._

_Up on the surface, Shanks just stood at the railing, staring at the ripples where Buggy had disappeared, waiting for his friend to resurface but as time passed he began to get more and more worried. "Buggy? What are you doing? Aren't you great at swimming?!" The ripples slowly became fainter and fainter until they finally disappeared but Buggy still hadn't returned. Shanks' eyes widened in panic as he realized that Buggy was actually in serious trouble._

"_Buggy?!"_

_Under the water, Buggy's vision was starting to go dark as he lost the ability to hold his breath, and he was starting to think that he might actually die. 'Help... Help me...'_

_On the boat, Shanks had quickly taken off his hat and removed his shoes before climbing up onto the railing and diving into the dark water after his crew-mate and friend._

_"Hold on, Buggy I'll save you"_

*_End Flashback_*

Buggy finished his tale, the memories reminding him, once again, why he hated that carefree man. Shanks had ruined his life and he would never forgive him. In fact, he hadn't spoken to the red-haired pirate since Shanks rescued him from drowning. He would take his hatred of Shanks to the grave.

Luffy was silent for a few seconds, a small smile coming to her face. It was just how she remembered Shanks, carefree and yet still so serious when a friend was in danger. He would forever be a great pirate in her mind.

"So Shanks saved your life!" Luffy said, giggling behind her hand at the expression on Buggy's face. The clown pirate turned to her with a snarl, his teeth bared like an angry lion.

"THAT NOT THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE! Because of him, my plan was delayed ten years!" Buggy calmed himself slightly, a sadistic grin still on his face. "But I have finally realized…if I can't get the treasure beneath the sea, I'll just grab all the treasures on land with my Chop-Chop power!" As if trying to prove his point Buggy split himself in half and began to float upwards, pulling his eight daggers out from under his coat. Luffy just continued to watch him a blank look on her face as she followed the pirate's accent with her eyes. In truth, she was starting to get a little tired of Buggy's whining and had been fighting the urge to just attack him in an attempt to shut him up. All he did was blame everything on Shanks and that kinda pissed her off. Still, she kept her guard up, just in case he came at her first. again.

"So if anyone dares to touch my treasure, no matter who they are, I won't let them live!" He yelled, sliding each of the daggers into position between his fingers and raising them up, preparing to attack. Luffy settled into her own fighting stance, ready to continue the fight whenever he was. She would have fun taking this guy down. Buggy launched his assault, a dark look settling onto his face, charging straight at Luffy, who held her ground, as fearless as ever. She was waiting calmly for the perfect moment to strike but was thrown off balance when Buggy shifted his direction slightly and shot straight past her.

"MY TREASURES, UNHAND THEM!" Buggy yelled at something, or someone, behind her. Luffy quickly swung her head around to see Nami standing at the edge of the plaza, a large sack thrown over one shoulder. The orangette had been trying to sneak past the two fighters, thinking that they were caught up in their talking.

"Oh crap! He saw me!" She tried to increase her speed, hoping she could beat Buggy to the buildings and then lose him in the alleys. However, the heavy sack slowed her down considerably and Buggy was slowly but surely gaining on her.

"No matter where you run, I'll find you, Nami!" Buggy shouted, crossing his arms across his chest as he neared her, forming an X and readying his attack. "I'll cut you up really well!" He was now mere feet from her and Nami knew she wouldn't be able to dodge his attack, even if she dropped the sack. Would this be how her life ended?

'No, no! I can't die right now. I-I made a promise! I refuse to die!' She screamed the words silently but no matter how many times she said it to herself, Buggy continued to gain on her, eyes crazed and laughing manically. Believing it all to be over, the orangette dropped down to one knee and squeezed her eyes closed, waiting for the feeling of Buggy's daggers piercing through her flesh.

But no pain ever came. 'What happened?' She thought, confused and still very scared, but a tiny little sliver of hope had wormed its way into her heart. She cracked one eye open cautiously to she what had happened and was greeted with Buggy's frozen face. Nami screamed in surprise and threw herself backwards, landing hard on her ass. Opening her eyes fully, she tried to piece together what had happened. Buggy's upper body was frozen, mid attack, a look of extreme pain written all over his face and as the seconds passed and he still didn't move Nami became even more confused. Maybe Luffy had done something? Tilting herself to the side to see past the frozen clown she scanned the plaza for a flash of bright red. When she finally saw Luffy her eyes widened in disbelief, her jaw dropping in shock. The raven haired girl had turned towards Buggy's lower half, which he had left unprotected, and kicked him square in the crotch. The Luffy smirked, fighting the urge to laugh, as both of Buggy's halves toppled over onto the ground, the man's eyes tearing up from the pain coursing through him.

"M-m-my…balls…my b-b-balls!" Buggy choked out, barely able to talk as his lower half twitched on the ground in front of Luffy, his whole body shuddering in pain. Luffy turned away from Buggy's legs and glanced over to where his upper half lay before grinning one of her crazy grins.

"Your opponent is me!" She yelled, doubling over with a laugh after getting a good look at the expression on Buggy's face. She had accidentally used that attack on one of her brothers during a sparring match and, after he recovered, both had okayed her to use it on any male opponent she faced... except for them.

Nami watched Buggy twitching in pain, actually feeling a little sorry for the Clown Captain. She herself, had taken some drastic measures while facing pirates before, but this…this was just cruel. And the raven haired girl was giggling about it.

"Hey, Nami." Nami turned her gaze away from the pirate on the ground in front of her to stare at Luffy.

"You should probably let go of the treasure and run." She said, pointing at the bag of treasure still resting on Nami's shoulder, starting to sober slightly. Her fight still wasn't over, just... delayed. "He'll come after you again if you don't give it back." The orangette was already shaking her head before Luffy had even finished speaking.

"No! leave this treasure? Definitely not! This treasure is worth ten million Berri! Why should I throw away _my_ treasure?"

"Your…treasure?!" Buggy forced his head up, still shaking slightly, and glared at the wretched girl. She thought his treasure was now hers?!

"Of course it is," she exclaimed, as if it should be obvious, sweeping her free arm in front of her.

"I'm thief who steals from pirates. Now that I've stolen yours, it belongs to me." With that said, her eyes narrowed, determination shining in her gaze and she placed her free hand on her hip. Luffy watched the orangette, impressed with the other girl's resolve, and smacked her fist lightly on the palm of her other hand, as if she was just now getting it.

"Ahh~ that makes sense." She nodded, grinning. Her navigator was smart!

"Bullshit! Those are my treasures!" Buggy snarled, furious, the pain from Luffy's attack fading as anger took it's place. "You think it's yours just because you stole it? How stupid are you?!" Nami glanced down at Buggy with a condescending look, unimpressed with his screaming.

"A thief lecturing another thief is…ridiculous." Then she smiled smugly, turning away from the clown pirate, with a confidence she knew she wouldn't have had if Buggy wasn't incapacitated.

"What did you say?!" Buggy was spitting mad, his blood boiling so hot that his face was as red as his nose.

"I will never bring myself down to the same level as you pirates!" Then she stuck her tongue out. Buggy had finally reached his limit, feeling like he was about to erupt like a volcano.

"You better prepare yourself, Nami! Chop-Chop Festival!" Buggy cried separating all of his body parts into tiny chunks. The parts of his lower body rushed past Luffy, forcing her to duck, one arm coming up to protect her head. The move startled both Nami and Luffy, both unaware that Buggy could split his body into tiny pieces like that, it would make things more difficult for Luffy. Buggy turned his head to grin sadistically at the raven-haired girl.

"HAHAHA! If you think you can help your friend _little_ girl, you'd better do it now! "

"Damn him!" Luffy hissed, clenching her fists, that was cheating! She sprinted towards Buggy, hoping that Nami could hold the clown pirate off until she got there. Buggy's pieces swirled around the orangette, giving her nowhere to run.

"Return my treasures!"

"NO!"

Nami shoved past two floating pieces, moving the bag of treasure so she was holding it to her chest before sprinting away from the laughing clown.

"Get back here, you little bitch!" Buggy snarled, chasing after her, knowing it would be easy to catch her and the little raven-haired nuisance was still too far away to stop him.

"I'm not some weak little girl so don't UNDERESTIMATE ME!" Nami screamed, stopping mid run and swinging her body around, using the momentum to add speed to the sack as she slammed it into Buggy's head. Luffy cheered as she ran, about to compliment Nami on her quick thinking, but froze as she realized that the attack hadn't hit Buggy's head at all. Buggy had dropped most of his knives, now only holding one in each hand, and those floating hands had come between Buggy's head and the sack, stopping her attack. He smirked victoriously.

"Thank you so much for returning my treasure, Nami." His voice oozed sarcasm but before he could yank the bag out of her hands, Nami tried to tug it back. Buggy quickly responded in kind and a small match of tug of war broke out between them.

"Let go!"

"No, you let go!"

"This treasure is mine!"

"No, it's mine I stole it first!" Buggy was fed up with this and grinned evilly as he thought of a good idea. His hands let go of the sack, surprising Nami and throwing her back and off balance before moving to attack the pirate thief with the two daggers. Nami's eyes widened in surprise, unable to think of a way to block, her mind completely blank. A shout to her left surprised both combatants and they turned to stare at Luffy, who was standing there calmly, glaring at Buggy.

"Didn't I tell you that I'm your opponent?!" She yelled lifting her right leg up in a move reminiscent of the one she had used on the marines in Shells Town. "Gum-Gum whip!" She shouted, bringing the leg back and sending it stretching forward, her foot slamming into Buggy's face and sending his head flying into the sack, knocking the clown pirate out. The sack tore as the force of Luffy's kick ripped it out of Nami's hands, sending treasure everywhere. Luffy grinned and relaxed out of her fighting stance as Buggy's remaining limbs began to fall to the ground, lifeless, their owner now unconscious on top of a pile of gold and jewels.

"You can take that kick as a gift from the mayor!"

Nami stared at the clown captain in shock for a few seconds before turning to Luffy with a glare. "HOW LONG WERE YOU STANDING THERE?!" She screamed, storming up to the grinning girl.

"Since the beginning of the tug of war. I kinda wanted to join in..." She pouted, Luffy had always loved games, and their match had looked like fun.

"WHY DIDN"T YOU HELP ME?!" Nami couldn't understand what was going through the scatterbrained girl's head.

"I did help you," Luffy stated, confused. She had stopped Buggy so why was Nami mad at her?

Nami sighed in exasperation, grudgingly agreeing that Luffy had helped her when it counted.

"Thanks," the orangette finally said, smiling softly. "You saved my life."

"No problem," Luffy brushed aside her thanks, Nami was her friend. Trying to change the topic, Luffy glanced around the square before remembering. "Oh yeah, did you get the map?"

"Yup, I have it," Nami sighed, placing her hands on her knees and taking a few deep breaths, thankful the fight was finally over.

"It's not over yet, you straw-hat bitch!" Nami and Luffy both turned, seeing Buggy's head rise from the pile of gold, emitting a very dark and menacing aura.

"What! You're still alive?!" Luffy grumbled, annoyed but grudgingly impressed at Buggy's tenacity. This guy didn't know when to quit.

"I'm far tougher than you think, little girl! No matter how much pain you inflict on me, nothing will keep me down. I will make you pay for challenging me!" Buggy exclaimed, his eyes crazed, promising pain and suffering to the girl who had ruined his plans. His expression said, without words, that he would take his time in killing the raven-haired girl, he would make her suffer.

Nami cringed as she watched the changing emotions cross Buggy's face, she needed to do something to stop this madness before it got out of hand. While she was somewhat confident that Luffy could beat him the girl could get seriously injured fighting the other pirate. She froze as she thought of a good idea and glanced at Luffy. The other girl slid her gaze to the side and nodded at Nami, giving the older girl permission before turning her gaze back to the fuming Buggy. Nami smiled, somewhat strained before turning and quickly darting away from the two combatants to commence her part of the plan. She was glad that Buggy was too focused on Luffy, too angry to notice her sudden disappearence.

"Now get ready to DIE~" Luffy frowned as she positioned herself, ready for another round and trusting Nami's plan. She didn't know what the other girl was planning but she would trust Nami.

"Reassemble! Chop-Chop parts!" Each and every one of Buggy's parts that lay scattered around the plaza rose into the air and began flying towards Buggy, attempting to reattach and reform his normal body. When all of the parts had returned Buggy glanced down at himself, eyes widening in shock. More than half of his parts were missing, leaving him with only his head, hands, and feet.

Luffy blinked a couple of times as she tried to take in the sight before her. Buggy was almost... _cute_ looking. "Aaawwwwwww..." she muttered, eyes softening at the downright adorable sight. She couldn't help it, the clown pirate was absolutely tiny, practically chibi looking.

Buggy, however, was not amused. He didn't understand what had just happened. He had called all of his body parts and while he could still feel the missing pieces, they were not heading towards him like the others had. Where were they? A confident laugh sounded to his left and both he and Luffy turned to stare at the orange haired thief, Nami. What he saw made his jaw drop in shock. Nami had somehow managed to round up all of his missing parts before he could call them and had tied them together. Her foot now rested on top of the pile of parts, preventing them from making their way back to Buggy.

"Are you looking for these?"

"MY PARTS!" Luffy threw her head back, laughing loudly, what Nami had done, that girl really was one of a kind. Then she turned back to Buggy, smirking, still chuckling slightly.

"Nami, no wonder you are a thief, you're damn good at it." Luffy, threw her arms behind her, stretching them back as far as she could. "Hey Buggy, get ready~" She sing-songed, charging towards the chibi Buggy.

"Gum-Gum Bazooka!" She shot her hands forward and hit the screaming and cowering clown dead on with her open palms sending him flying into sky, watching his flight until he was out of sight. Once again, Nami was amazed at the girl's strength and odd devil fruit powers that she possessed. It really made her think, how strong was Luffy really? Then Luffy's arms snapped back into their normal position and she pumped both fists in the air, victoriously.

"I win!" She giggled, cheering happily. She continued to celebrate for another half minute before her eyes turned back to her straw-hat, still resting on the ground a few feet away. Her smile slowly fell as she took in the state of her precious hat. Sadly, Luffy made her way over to it and picked it up off of the ground, her eyes filling with tears. She had promised Shanks she would bring this hat back, what would he say now? It was completely ruined. Nami watched the younger girl, a pain in her heart as she watched her, feeling bad for the raven-haired girl. It was sad to see Luffy like this.

"I'm sorry about your straw hat."

"It's okay, I can still wear it. I'm not angry anymore since Buggy is beaten." Luffy placed the hat back on her head and turned to smile widely at Nami but the orangette could tell she was still very hurt inside.

"Don't worry," Nami mumbled quietly. "I'll help you patch it up later." The words were barely loud enough for Luffy to hear the girl perked up anyway.

"Eh? What?"

"Nothing at all." Nami turned her head away from the other girl, knowing Luffy had heard her, but wouldn't push the issue. Grabbing two empty sacks she had brought with her, just in case, Nami made her way over to the scattered treasure and began to divide it up. Within only a few minutes, she had divided the treasure equally into the two bags, and was now trying to lift them..

"Could you help me carry this Luffy? Cause the bag split I had to split it in two and it's heavy." The orangette held one of the bags out towards Luffy and the girl giggled before shaking her head in disbelief.

"You really don't give up, do you?"

"Hey, Buggy is really selective about his treasure, so everything here is high quality. Together, its all probably worth about ten million berri," Nami hugged the bags lovingly and Luffy smiled at her friend, silently congratulation the older girl. She was happy for her friend. Even though Luffy didn't know why Nami needed the money she knew it was important to the older girl and was proud of her success. However, she blinked in confusion when Nami suddenly held out her hand, the chart of the Grand Line in her palm.

"What are you doing?"

"You wanted it, right? So take it. If you want travel through the Grand Line, you'll need it." Luffy's face lit up with joy.

"You're really sure? I mean, you worked so hard to get it."

"It's okay," Nami smiled, enjoying Luffy's happiness. "After all, you saved my life."

"Thank you, Nami!" Luffy squealed, leaping forward and pulling Nami into a huge hug, spinning the girl around with her. Nami hadn't quite expected the girl to react like that but smiled nevertheless. She couldn't help but smile around Luffy, the girl was happiness personified. Then Luffy broke the hug and held onto Nami's shoulders, staring at her face.

"Hey, does that mean you're joining our crew?!" Nami's smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown.

"How many times do I have to tell you?! I'm not going to be a pirate!" She put her hands on her hips in exasperation, before shaking her head softly. "…but being with you guys, I'll probably earn lots of money so I guess I'll join you." Nami's grin returned and Luffy laughed cheerily, giving Nami another hug.

Once the hugging was done and Luffy had calmed down, both girl's walked back over to where Luffy had left the sleeping Zoro. Nami stayed just a few feet away, knowing that the swordsman wasn't too fond of her, while Luffy tried to wake him up.

"Zoro, time to wake up." She sang, shaking his shoulder. "Rise and shine." Her hands moved to run through his hair and after a dew seconds, the swordsman groaned, slowly shaking himself awake before moving to sit up. He crossed his legs and scratched at his head, eyes zeroing in on Luffy, assessing the girl for injuries. Since he had been asleep during her fight he had to make sure she hadn't been hurt.

"It's the fight over already?" He asked, yawning like a tired dog, reassured that Luffy hadn't been hurt based on her happy and carefree positioning. The raven-haired girl smiled down at her first mate, happy to see that he appeared to be looking a bit better. She had been worried about the amount of blood he had lost.

"Yep, and we got the map and a Navigator, isn't it great?!" said Luffy smiling happily, unable to resist the urge to hum under her breath. Zoro glanced away from his singing captain and glared over at Nami, who remained stiff, refusing to look away from him. An unspoken conversation passed between them, Zoro's promising pain and swift retribution if the orangette did anything to harm his captain, while the older girl silently tried to convey a sense of trustworthiness. Finally deciding that he was satisfied enough to let the woman travel with them, he turned to look back at Luffy, swaying a little, feeling lightheaded.

"Ugh, crap, I don't feel so good," He mumbled, fighting the urge to faint. He would not fall asleep again and leave Luffy unprotected.

"Of course you don't!," Nami sighed in exasperation. "If you try to move you'll only get worse! You two are not humans at all!" She couldn't believe how strong the pirate hunter swordsman was, not to mention the tiny raven-haired girl kneeling in front of him.

"Why was I included?" Luffy pouted, turning her head back towards Nami.

"YOU are the strangest of them all!" the orangette shouted, "Anyway, we should go check on the Mayor." All three of them turned to look at the unconscious mayor, still sleeping against the side of the brick building Luffy had slammed him into.

"Oh right, we should wake him up too." Luffy had completely forgotten about him, and she rubbed the back of her neck embarrassed. But before she could take a step towards the old man, a shout stopped her from moving. She turned around to see a large group of people that had appeared out of nowhere, gathered on the main street, clutching pitchforks and shovels. Luffy assumed that they were the townsfolk.

"You're not from around here, who are you?" One of them asked, stepping forward. Nami slowly relaxed, having tensed up when she heard the shout, at the sight of what she obviously assumed were the villagers. They were obviously not Buggy's crew, and she opened her mouth to reply when another member of the crowd yelled in surprise.

"Mayor Boodle!" The townsfolk all turned as one and stared in horror, in shock at the sight of their beloved mayor unconscious on the ground, a dark purple bruise forming on his face. A few of them rushed over to the old man, attempting to care for his injuries and trying to wake him up at the same time.

"Who did this to you, Mayor?" One yelled. "Did those Buggy Pirates do this?"

"Sorry, I had to knock him out," Luffy said, waving her hand dismissively. She had done it to protect the old man and she knew he would be fine after he woke up. Maybe a bit of a headache but... at least he would be alive. Nami gawked at the girl as the citizens turned to glare sharply at her.

"WHAT!?"

"What the hell are you doing!" Nami whispered harshly. "You're not supposed to tell them that!" Luffy just blinked in confusion, not understanding what the big deal was. The mayor was alive because she had knocked him out, it had been a good thing.

"But you saw it."

"Of course I did, but there's a good reason…" Nami froze when she realized what she had said but it was already too late. The townsfolk had heard her and were now reading their weapons, pointing towards the three teens, ready to attack.

"Why did you attack our mayor?!" One shouted stepping forward, the leader of the group of villagers.

"No excuses!" Another said, all of the villagers moving to crowd closer around Luffy. Zoro tensed a little bit at that, he didn't like the vibe that was building around them, but forced himself to relax when he turned to look at Luffy. His captain was still smiling brightly, rocking back and forth on her heels, and watching the villagers happily.

"So you guys are pirates, then?" The temperature dropped another few degrees as the villagers glares darkened and Nami shook her head slightly, fear in her eyes as she realized the dilemma they were in.

'Such a scary death vibe,' she thought, leaning back in an almost reflexive attempt to put more space between her and the villagers. 'This is seriously bad, if we're not careful and use the words thief or pirate we'll…' before she could even finish her thought, Luffy opened her mouth and said with a grin.

"We're Pirates."

…

…

…

'We're dead' Was the last thought that went through Nami's head before her mind just shut down, too shocked by the raven-haired girl's stupidity.

"WE THOUGHT SO!" The people snarled, veins appearing on their faces, as they readied their weapons.

Still sitting on the ground near Luffy, Zoro began to laugh loudly, as if the whole thing was a joke to him. He was clutching lightly at his stomach with one hand, the other over his eyes, and had nearly fallen over, he was laughing so hard. Luffy stared down at him, her own grin widening, loving the sound of Zoro's laugh and the carefree look on his face.

"YOU IDIOT! DO YOU HAVE A SCREW LOOSE IN YOUR BRAIN OR SOMETHING?!" Nami yelled, looking like an angry shark, even more upset that the two pirates didn't seem to be taking this seriously.

"But it's the truth."

"Pirates, how dare you harm our mayor and destroy our town!" one of them roared.

"We will make you pay for what you've done! We won't forgive you, even if you're just kids." Luffy ignored their yelling as she moved to stand in front of Zoro, kneeling down so she could talk face to face with him.

"What now, Lu? They won't listen to us anymore." Zoro muttered, keeping one eye on the fuming villagers. He kinda expected her to do something like this but it meant they were probably going to have to run and he wasn't sure if he could do that. As if she was thinking the same thing, Luffy frowned and glanced down at his wound before speaking.

"Zoro? You trust me?" She asked quietly.

"With my life, captain." Zoro grinned, mirroring the bright, happy smile that came to Luffy's face at his words. She nodded mostly to herself before taking a few deep breaths.

"We're gonna run!" Even as she said it, Luffy was already turning and lifting Zoro onto her back in a sort of piggyback ride. His legs weren't wrapped around her waist and kinda dragged on the floor but it was the best idea she had been able to come up with. She took off down the street, heading away from the town square, Nami stumbling slightly before falling into place behind her, as the towns-folk chased them.

"Why do you always speak without using your brain?!" Nami whined, clutching the two large bags of treasure to her chest. She was already starting to regret joining Luffy's pirate crew.

"This is a good town," Luffy said, sighing happily. Nami glanced at her in confusion.

"For the sake of their mayor, everyone's doing their best to fight! Even if we had told them the why we did what we did, they wouldn't have listened to us because they're too angry." Nami glanced back at the villagers still chasing them, her eyes softening slightly as she realized that Luffy was right. She was shocked by Luffy's understanding and good sense, maybe the she-pirate was smarter than she appeared.

"Quickly let's turn here," Nami was snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Luffy turn into an alley just as she herself passed it. The orangette quickly slid to a stop and turned back into the alley before she lost the other girl.

"Wa-wa-wait, don't give directions at the last second!"

As they ran down the long passage, both girls spotted Chouchou sitting on the ground near the end of the alley. The two girls jumped over him as they passed, Luffy making sure that Zoro's feet wouldn't hit the white dog, before continuing on their way. The townsfolk that had followed them attempted to run past Chouchou as well the dog began to snarl and bark, forcing them back.

"Chouchou? Get out of the way, they're bad pirates! Chouchou!" The townspeople were shocked and confused at the little dog that was, for some reason, protecting the pirates.

Both Nami and Luffy stopped to watch at the exit, a little stunned that Chouchou was blocking his own people to help them escape. Luffy smiled, knowing Chouchou's reason and she smiled.

"Thanks Doggy~" She shouted, turning to run after Nami who had taken off, throwing a wave over her shoulder. Chouchou smirked; now they were even.

* * *

At the port, Luffy and Nami had finally managed to lose their angry pursuers and were taking a few deep breaths, both grinning happily. They made their way over to their small boats, which coincidentally happened to be moored right next to each other.

"Thank goodness, we somehow escaped thanks to Chouchou." Nami sighed, setting down her treasure to wipe at her sweaty brow. "Why do we have to be in this situation?" Luffy just shrugged and gave Nami an 'I don't know' look before adjusting Zoro on her back. The green-haired swordsman had fallen asleep again while they were running, which was of great amusement to Luffy. Apparently, he could sleep through angry villagers with pitchforks but not her asking him to play a game.

"It wasn't that bad; we got what we wanted and now it's time for us to head off."

"I guess you're right..."

"Hey, this is your boat?" Luffy interrupted, eying the ship Nami had stolen from the Buggy pirates.

"Oh that? Eh, it's ok." The orangette brushed off the girl's enthusiasm, not overly impressed with the small dingy. "I stole that boat from bunch of stupid pirates."

"How dare you say that!" Nami jumped in surprise as the three pirates she had managed to trick appeared on the other side of the boat.

"We've been waiting for you, thief." They smirked, cracking their knuckles in anticipation.

"Who knew we would meet again on this beach?" One asked, the question rhetorical, as he stepped around the front of the boat to have better access to the two girls. Nami took an involuntary step back, laughing nervously as she tried to come up with a plan. Luffy watched the three pirates, knowing that they were not good news, before turning to ask Nami.

"Hey, do you know them, Nami?"

"Yeah…well, a little," Nami answered, trying to sound nonchalant, as one of them stepped forward, moving to stand in front of Luffy.

"Not just a little. We go back a long ways." He gave Luffy a quick once over that the girl didn't catch, before looking over at Nami. "So you have friends? We'll have to teach all of you a lesson then. About how its bad to steal from other people." The other pirates stepped a little closer as well, the one in front of Luffy finally noticing that there was a guy sleeping on the girl's back.

"Hey you, wake up! Don't pretend to sleep." He said, patting the green head hard in an attempt to get the guy to look up. "It's time for your punishment!" Zoro raised his head, the man's hand still on top of it , and glared darkly at the three pirates. He had just woken up and he was not in the best mood. He wondered who was stupid enough, besides Luffy, to disturb him when he slept. The three pirates quickly recognized Zoro from when he had unintentionally saved them and then beaten them with just his fists. Eyes widening in horror and knowing that they didn't want to tangle with the green-haired swordsman again, the three quickly turned tail and ran, leaving the girls staring after them, baffled.

* * *

Back with the townsfolk, the mayor had finally started to wake up and when he opened his eyes, he was met with the familiar faces of his people.

"Mayor, you're awake!" One man cheered, alerting the others and causing them to crowd around the disoriented old man.

"Thank goodness that you're ok," another sighed in relief.

"What in the world happened?" Boodle ignored the questions, eyes scanning his friends and neighbors, and taking in his surroundings, stunned to see the great big mess that the square had become.

"What happened?" He muttered, more to himself than to the villagers.

"It's been like this since we arrived," the leader of the group answered, following the mayor's gaze. "The rest of the pirates have all disappeared without a trace." As Boodle continued to stare at the rubble he suddenly remembered why he was there in the first place. Buggy had been here and then the kids... wait, the kids!

"The kids?! Where are those brats?" he asked, making eye contact with every villager, hoping to see the spark of recognition that would indicate they had seen them. The townsfolk only gave him puzzled looks and he sighed, a little worried.

"Kids? Wait, are you talking about those three?" one of them finally said, tilting his head thoughtfully.

"Then they're still alive?! Those damn kids. That little girl actually had the heart to do such an awful thing to an old man like me," he muttered, throat choking up with relief as he remembered that smiling black-haired girl who had knocked him unconscious to protect him.

"Don't worry mayor, we chased those three bastards away." The leader said, clenching his fists. As if a dam had been opened, more of the villagers began to speak, cursing the three teens, wanting to go after them again and drag them back to the town square. For what they had done to their town, those kids deserved to be punished.

Boodle remained silent, growing angrier and angrier as he listened to the comments of his people. They were just spouting nonsense about the three kids who had risked their necks to protect the town and him. After another minute he finally couldn't take it any longer.

"SHUT UP!" Boodle shouted, surprising the townsfolk and causing them all to fall silent, shock on their faces. He glared at them, causing many of them to cringe. They had never seen Mayor Boodle this angry before. What had gotten into him?

"Don't you dare insult those three. I am the only one who is allowed to scold them and I won't forgive anyone who speaks ill of them!" Nobody understood what the mayor was talking about, those kids had said they were pirates and had admitted to injuring the mayor as well.

"I don't understand, why are you defending those pirates?" Many of them asked. Boodle didn't answer, just rose to his feet slowly, still a little dizzy, before starting to unhook his armored chest plate.

"They think they can just leave like that?! Those brats." He turned to look at one of the villagers. "Tell me, where are they?" He asked, tossing his armor to the side before starting to work on the gauntlets.

"Um I think they headed to the port." Once Boodle removed his gauntlets, he started to walk, ignoring his people's protests and unhooking the shin guards as he moved.

"You better not have left yet! I still have a lot of things to say to you brats!"

* * *

At the port, two boats had slowly begun to sail away from the port, sails just starting to catch the wind that would take them off to a new adventure.

"Your boat has Buggy's flag on it, don't you want to take it down?" Zoro asked, lounging at the head of the small rowboat he and Luffy used, one arm resting against the top of the side.

"I thought about it, but it'll keep away any unwanted attention." Nami replied, shrugging. "I'll remove it later." Zoro nodded in understanding and moved to doze off again when a shout caused him to open his eyes again. All three turned to look back at the shore, seeing Boodle standing at the edge of the pier, hands clenched angrily.

"It's the mayor," Luffy exclaimed, relieved that he was awake. She had been a little worried about the old man.

"You brats!" Boodle ducked his head, panting as he tried to catch his breath. After a minute he raised his head and screamed. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I PROMISE I'LL REPAY YOU SOMEDAY!" Happy tears were running down his cheeks and the three smiled as Luffy turned to wave goodbye.

"Don't worry about it old man! Take care of yourself!" She yelled, laughing happily. Boodle just smiled at the retreating pirates, the three brats who were now heroes for saving his town.

"You brats," he whispered softly. "Thank you Luffy, Zoro, and Nami." Wiping at his eyes as the two ships finally disappeared from view, Boodle turned to head back to the town square where the townsfolk waited but froze when he took notice of a large sack that had been left on the deck. Approaching it, he carefully opened the bag and gasped, seeing the pile of treasure resting within and feeling the tears coming back. _'you brats.'_

* * *

"YOU DID WHAT?"

Luffy had quickly explained to Nami that she had left one of the bags of treasure behind when the orange haired girl had started asking for it. She wanted the townsfolk to be able to rebuild their town the way it used to be.

"You mean you gave them five million Berri?!"

"Yes, that way they can rebuild their home, right?"

"But that was MY treasure!" Nami screeched. "Do you know how hard it was to steal that?!"

"Ah that's true," Luffy conceded, tipping her hat back slightly. "But you joined my crew, which mean that the treasure YOU stole now belongs to ALL of us and since I'm the Captain I can do whatever I want with OUR treasure!" after Luffy finished her explanation she smiled softly, and Nami realized that she had no comebacks to the shockingly wise answer. Zoro just watched the two from the end of the small dingy, bemused.

"You know, she has point there, Nami. I guess you better live with it," Zoro agreed, shrugging slightly before putting his hands behind his head, laying back on the boat, ready to take his long deserved nap.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT! THOSE ARE MY TREASURES!"

"Take it easy, Nami," Luffy soothed, trying to calm her new crew-mate/friend down, but it wasn't working.

"DON'T YOU KNOW HOW HARD I WORKED TO STEAL THOSE PRICELESS TREASURES FROM BUGGY'S PIRATES!"

"WHAT ARE YOU YELLING AT ME FOR?! I DID IT BECAUSE I WANTED TO! BESIDES, THEY NEEDED THE TREASURE MORE THAN YOU DO!" Now Luffy was yelling too, fed up with Nami shouting at her. She had done what any person should have done. Some of the damage to the town had been caused by her and she wanted to pay the old man back for it.

"I NEEDED THOSE TREASURES EVEN MORE BECAUSE THEY WERE MINE! I HOPE YOU'RE READY TO REPAY ME TWICE THE AMOUNT OF TREASURE YOU GAVE THEM!"

"EH~ ARE YOU CRAZY?! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PAY YOU BACK TEN MILLION BERRI?!"

"I DON'T CARE BUT YOU BETTER PAY UP!" Luffy and Nami continued to bicker, leaning over the sides of their respective boats in their attempt to get right up in the other person's face. Zoro just watched the exchange, chuckling slightly. It was times like this that reminded Zoro of how normal Luffy could be, compared to her normal hyperactive self, and even though they were screaming, which prevented him from getting any sleep, he was content to just watch Luffy argue. As if knowing that her first mate was watching her, Luffy turned her head to Zoro and smiled brightly at him. Her eyes seemed to say, 'we got another crew-mate! Isn't this great?' and he nodded back to her, before gesturing back to Nami, who was still shouting at the distracted girl.

"IF YOU DON'T PAY UP NOW, I'LL INCREASE YOUR DEBT WITH A THREE HUNDRED PRECENT LATE FEE!"

"EHH! NO WAY!" Luffy shouted, head whipping back to stare at Nami in shock. "THAT'S WAY TOO MUCH, NAMI, YOU… YOU GREEDY WITCH!"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME YOU…BRAINLESS SCAMP!"

'Well, for better or worse, it looks like we added a navigator,' Zoro thought, settling back and closing his eyes, content to just rest his eyes for now.

* * *

Meanwhile, on an island far away from the small ramshackle crew, a man stood on the edge of a cliff watching the waves dance against the rocks. His expression was dazed, his mind far away, not knowing that very soon, his everyday life would change forever.

* * *

Another chapter down! Leaving the Buggy arc behind we shall start moving on to Usopp and syrup village! Next chapter be prepared for a cavity inducing ZoLu moment before they hit town and a continuation of Zoro's protectiveness heading into Syrup Village. He's only going to get worse until he finally figures out how to rein it in.

I may not be able to continue posting a chapter every day but I will NOT abandon this story. So if it takes me 2 days or so to post a chapter know that I have not forgotten, I am just trying to make it as perfect as I can. Hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next chapter!

Til Tomorrow!


	9. The Honorable Liar

Thank you for all the fantastic reviews! I really cherish them!

Thank you all for your patience! The holidays have been a pretty busy time. Here is one of my favorite chapters because of the beginning part. I love all the little ZoLu moments I can get in here and this is a big one. I hope it makes up for my late posting!

Thank you Shirani-Chan, Shizuka Taiyou, and .5!

A special shout out to .5 who got my ass in gear and made me get this chapter posted. I promise to not abandon this!

This is not completely my story. Some conversations and parts have been borrowed from other Fem!Luffy and LuffyxZoro fanfictions. However, most of this has been completely redone and rewritten by me.

The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you)

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

* * *

The Honorable Liar, Captain Usopp

Words expressive of life's lessons. Guitar chords reveal reflections, to moments passed by time's resolve. And the storyteller dances within verses; subtle moments. Presenting images unknown yet understood by quiet souls, inside their own contemplations. Common bonds, unrelated thoughts, come together with shared embrace, as connective humanity….by STP

* * *

After everything Nami had gone through this past day in Orange Town, particularly with Buggy, it was no surprise she found herself unable to sleep that night, kept awake by the swirling thoughts of everything that had happened, everything she knew _would __eventually_happen, the treasure she had obtained that day, when she would have to return…

The list was impossibly endless and it made her head hurt just to think of it.

And then her thoughts turned to Luffy and Zoro. Her new "crew-mates." She sighed, pushing herself up from her cot so she could sit against the wall of the small cabin on Buggy's tiny cruiser. How did all of this happen? It had all rushed by so quickly that it felt like a blur to her. The defeat of Buggy, the fleeing from the town, and the agreement she made with Luffy; to stick with them until her needs were served. Then, she would ditch, and take their treasure. That sounded right, it was what she always did.

So why did she find herself dreading that coming day? Sad at the fact that she would have to leave that dorky girl and her brooding man behind?

Shaking her head quickly in an attempt to throw all such thoughts out, she swiftly stood, giving up all thoughts of getting back to sleep that morning, and exited the tiny cabin for a bit of fresh air.

The sun was bright and shining, and the sea was calm, just as she had predicted the day before. Nami breathed in the cool salty air, already feeling the calming effect it had on her working it's magic. The other tiny dingy that contained Luffy and Zoro bobbled along next to her commandeered boat and out of slight curiosity, she glanced over at it.

What she saw had her eyes widening in surprise at first, and she froze, throat tightening with emotion, before forcing herself to relax. Placing a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing, she gave the sight before her a fond smile.

Zoro lay in the middle of the boat on his side, left arm curled under his head as a makeshift pillow and sound asleep... and Luffy was curled up right against his chest on her back, right arm clutching loosely at the arm he had draped unknowingly across her stomach. Her other hand clutched her straw hat. Both of their faces were contented and peaceful, their bodies unconsciously meshing perfectly.

Nami didn't know what she had expected when she first looked to their boat, but as she watched them sleep, she found that she wasn't really all that surprised. After everything she had seen from them during the past day, the care they showed each other, the determination, and urge to protect the other, she knew they fit well together. By now though, she was positive that neither had pieced together the obvious clues in front of them. At times, she doubted Luffy ever would. The girl was insightful and wise at times, but at her core she was still naïve and innocent and would probably not understand her feelings for what they were. Zoro on the other hand, she knew, would eventually figure it out. And then he would bury them and refuse to say anything to the girl. Nami rolled her eyes at that thought. Men and their pride. Even as she shook her head in resignation, small, caring, and rare smile came to her face.

Oh, yeah. _Now_ she remembered why she had chosen to follow them, to give them her all...

… because they gave her hope. They were her _friends_.

Luffy mumbled quietly in her sleep and tightened her hand on Zoro's arm, the slight sound drawing Nami out of her thoughts. She watched as Zoro shifted slightly in his sleep at the noise and smoothed his hand over Luffy's shirt in a comforting way.

"Mmmm… sush…" He mumbled to her in exceedingly bad and tired english. "…_Shleep_…" Luffy mumbled what could have been an agreement, before snuggling closer to the swordsman, who pressed a light kiss to the top of her head, before they were both out again.

Nami smiled once more, her heart truly warming at the sight, before turning away from the two, thinking that she could let them sleep for a bit longer.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky and it had to be at least midday but Luffy and Zoro were _still_ sleeping. Nami exited her cabin, having finally memorized every detail of the chart of the Grand Line they had stolen and glanced over at the small rowboat. Zoro had turned onto his back, unconsciously pulling Luffy further onto him and allowing her to use his chest as a pillow. She, in turn, had rolled onto her side, still clutching her straw hat which now rested on Zoro's stomach. The positions looked so natural it was if they had planned to sleep like that, and Nami shook her head in exasperation.

"Are you two going to sleep all day?!" She asked, walking over to the edge of her boat. There was no reply except for a loud snore from Zoro. Nami narrowed her eyes, annoyed, and glanced around her boat quickly, before grabbing an apple from the barrel next to her cabin door. She stared at the apple for a second before turning and throwing it straight at Zoro's face, hitting him square on the nose. He sat up with a scream of pain, right hand clutching the sheath of his white sword, which Nami had not noticed earlier, and left wrapped around Luffy, holding her securely against his chest.

His eyes quickly scanned the surrounding area before settling on Nami.

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" He screamed, narrowing his eyes at her and growling. Nami ignored his screeching shout, and took a deep breath so that she could calmly reply.

"HOW CAN YOU SLEEP ALL DAY LIKE THIS?! WHAT IF SOMEONE ATTACKED US WHILE YOU WERE STILL ASLEEP!" Well, it was calm by her standards.

"Hn, just because I'm napping doesn't mean I'm helpless. My mind is always open and on high alert in case any danger approaches," Zoro smirked at the orange-haired navigator. As if he would leave himself or his captain unprotected. Nami frowned at his smug smile. She was not impressed with his boastful confidence and she crossed her arms over her chest, subconsciously filing away that Zoro hadn't realized he was still holding a sleeping Luffy.

"Don't try to act all high and mighty to me just because you're the so-called _fearsome_ Pirate Hunter..." then she smiled, the kind of smile that said 'I've got you now!'

"You know, it's common for people with famous reputations to actually get stupider as time goes on," She joked, baiting him.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?! ARE YOU TRYING TO PICK A FIGHT, BECAUSE I WON'T HESITATE TO FIGHT A WOMAN!" yelled Zoro, his face darkening with anger and mild embarrassment, and the knuckles of the hand wrapped around his sword turned white as his grip tightened.

"GO AHEAD! I DARE YOU! I'VE FOUGHT PEOPLE DUMBER THAN YOU!" Nami yelled back.

"BRING IT!" Sparks could almost be seen dancing between the two of them as their anger built.

"What are you two doing?" A quiet and innocent whisper broke the deadly silence, causing both Nami and Zoro to snap back to reality. Nami's eyes darted down to where Luffy was just now stirring in Zoro's arms, rubbing at one eye in an almost childish manner. Zoro, on the other hand, froze like a statue, just now realizing that he had been clutching the younger girl to his chest this whole time. Luffy tilted her head to the side in a cute manner, still awaiting an answer.

"Oh, uhh, it's nothing. Zoro and I were just…talking" Nami mumbled, trying to think up a quick excuse.

"Oh, well, I guess that's good." Luffy let out a bright smile and yawned before sitting up straighter. Zoro's arm slid limply down her back, his mind still in shock over their current position.

"You ok, Zoro?" He shook his head quickly and glanced down at the raven-haired girl still sitting in his lap. She was smiling at him and he caught himself staring into her dark brown eyes, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

'What the hell is wrong with me? She's my Captain! I need to get a hold of myself before…'

"Zoro?"

"I'm fine Lu. Just still a bit tired." He replied quickly, glancing away from Luffy, and from Nami's knowing gaze.

"Ok," She replied happily, satisfied with Zoro's answer. She gingerly climbed out of Zoro's lap and the swordsman immediately missed the warmth that had seeped through his body at her close contact. His hands clenched at his sides, fighting the urge to pull the she-pirate back against him and bury his face in the crook of her shoulder.

'I don't know why I feel like this around her, it doesn't make any sense!' he thought teeth clenching. His head began to hurt and he pushed the confusing new feelings to the side, telling himself he would think more on it later.

"Good morning Luffy. Sleep well?" Nami asked, a barely noticeable teasing note in her voice. Zoro ground his teeth in annoyance, knowing that the navigator was going to hold this little scene above his head for a while yet. Luffy, oblivious to the unspoken question, nodded happily.

"Yeah, I slept great. Zoro made a great pillow!" She turned to grin at her swordsman but was quickly distracted by the sun shining in her eyes, missing the way Zoro's face darkened with a blush. "Ooh, the ingredients for my cream should be done drying soon. Now I can make some more of it for Zoro since I lost my other cream."

"When did you have time to pick up medicinal stuff?" Nami asked tilting her head to watch the girl curiously.

"After you left with the mayor."Luffy replied happily. "I saw a store by that doggy's place and grabbed a few things while I was waiting. Last night I set out some stuff to dry. Like plant roots, bunches of seaweed, and rainbow algae." She ticked off the items on her fingers. "Now I can mix these and make a cream that will heal Zoro's wound. Makino taught me how."

"How many times do I have to tell you, no need to worry about it. I'll just sleep it off," Zoro immediately replied, a little exasperated. Luffy had been pestering him about the wound all yesterday while they were sailing and even though he kept telling her there was nothing to worry about, it didn't seem to make her stop worrying.

"Are you an idiot? Sleeping won't make the wound magically disappear," Nami snapped angrily. Zoro just snorted and moved to lay back at his designated end of the boat to go back to sleep. Luffy giggled and climbed over into Nami's boat carefully, wanting to check the status of her ingredients and grab the rest of the necessary supplies.

"Luffy? There is something I've been meaning to ask."

"What is it?" The raven haired girl replied while she settled onto the deck, placing her ingredients around her and preparing to make her medicine. She brought out an old looking bowl that she had borrowed from Nami's boat and put some of her dried seaweed in it before grinding it with the pestle.

"Both you and Captain Buggy are devil fruit users, right? But you're different. How many types of devil fruits are there and how did you two manage to find them out here in the east blue? It must've been incredibly difficult. What do they look like?" Nami continued to ask all the questions that had built up since watching the fight yesterday. Zoro opened one eye, he also wanted to know about those devil fruits in case he ever had to face one someday. Luffy nodded as she proceeded to smash the seaweed.

"Yep, that right. Devil Fruits are originally found in the Grand Line but I guess it's possible to find them anywhere. Old legends say that there are more than one hundred different kinds of devil fruits but the devil fruit only has three types that determine the base form of the abilities."

"Wait a second; you say there are more than a hundred different devil fruit? Then how come there are only three types of devil fruits?" Nami was bewildered to hear that there were so many countless devil fruits that could give people powers as strange and crazy as Buggy's and even Luffy's. It was insane.

"I don't know why there are only three types of Devil Fruits in the world, there just are." Luffy shrugged, stopping in her mixing to cross her arms over her chest and tilting her head to the side as she tried to remember all that Shanks had taught her about devil fruits.

"The three types of devil fruits are Paramecia, Zoan, and Logia. Each one has different forms of powers and abilities. First, the most common type is the Paramecia type, which is what both Buggy and I have. Paramecias gain superhuman physical abilities or powers. Some users can alter features of their bodies or their environment. Others can even manipulate and generate some kinds of substances. The second type is the Zoan type. The users of Zoan class devil fruits gain the ability to transform into an animal and access all of that animal's strengths and weaknesses. There are Zoan devil fruits not only for normal animals, but for super ancient or some legendary creatures as well." Luffy paused and turned to grab the pile of dried plant roots before adding them to the mortar with the seaweed and continuing her mixing. "Lastly are the Logia type. These guys are bad news. If you eat one of those you'll gain the ability to transform into one of the elements. Logia devil fruits are considered the most powerful as well as the rarest of the types of devil fruit as a whole. I've never seen one but I've heard there's Logias for water and fire, and probably lightning and other things." Once she was finished, silence engulfed the three, the only sounds coming from Luffy's mixing.

Zoro didn't move an inch after Luffy finished explaining but a smirk spread across his face and his eyes showed exhilaration. Each of these devil fruit users could be way stronger than Buggy and would be a perfect way to test his skills and grow stronger. Nami just cringed as every word that Luffy spoke sunk into her brain. Every one of these users was automatically dangerous and deadly in her book. If Buggy was strong then there was bound to be someone a hell of a lot stronger that made the clown pirate look like a wimp. Then Luffy turned her head, as if she sensed Nami's distress, and grinned happily.

"Don't you worry Nami. Even though they're strong, I'm a lot stronger and Zoro can beat anyone we face that uses swords." Zoro's smirk widened in response, confident he could take on anyone who dared to face him. Not just him, anyone who even _looked_ at his captain was going down as well.

"YOU TWO ARE COMPLETELY BONKERS!" Nami yelled.

After what seem like an hour had passed, Luffy had finished enough of her cream to cover the wound Buggy had inflicted on Zoro. She grinned at her achievement and climbed back over into her boat before walking up to where Zoro was laying peacefully, like one big, lazy cat.

"Okay Zoro, the cream is done. Now lift up your shirt so I can spread it on your wound," Luffy sang, humming happily. Zoro cracked one eye open and sighed.

"Lu, I don't need any medicine or anything, I'm fine. I'm as healthy as an ox so there's no need for any medicine." Zoro's eye slipped closed when he finished. Luffy stood there for a second, watching her first mate before saying.

"…I see." Then suddenly, she leaned over him and started to pinch his cheek really hard pulling on him until the swordsman sat up with a shout.

"WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" Zoro yelled, rubbing at his cheek and staring at Luffy in shock, he hadn't expected her to do something like that. Even Nami was stunned and she had seen the whole thing. Luffy replied with an easy smile.

"Because Zoro is being stupid."

"…EHH!"

"When I see a wound, it needs to be treated, not ignored. Zoro won't be able to fight if the wound gets worse, no matter how small the wound is," Luffy said, still smiling, Nami bit her lip, trying so hard not to laugh while Zoro growled. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right and that damaged his pride. As he was about to tell her to get the medicine, Luffy pulled his shirt up and started smearing the cream on his wound without warning.

"EH, WHAT THE? YOU CANNOT JUST DO THAT TO OTHER PEOPLE LIKE THAT! AND CAN YOU AT LEAST WAIT TIL I GIVE MY ANSWER!" Zoro shouted, slightly annoyed at her for invading his private zone and at himself for immediately basking in the closeness between them.

"It's done, no thanks are necessary." She said, patting his stomach reassuringly after she neatly re-wrapped the bandages around Zoro's side.

"…Were you ignoring me?" Zoro asked in an almost deadly calm tone. Nami muffled her giggle as she watched the two interact with one another. Zoro appeared to be angry with the raven haired girl, but Nami knew that the swordsman was never truly angry with his captain and the other girl seemed to know it too. Luffy continued to smile at her first mate, settling herself down into the small space between his legs before continuing their impromptu staring match. Nami just shook her head, amused, before turning to look at her map again.

They continued to sail for another hour, Nami's frown deepening by the minute as she considered the situation they were in. She knew that the Grand Line was also called the Pirate's Graveyard, the ocean itself was so treacherous that no one could survive for long on the Grand Line, even with serious preparation. Even though both Luffy and Zoro were strong that didn't mean they could survive that sea on their own.

"There's no way we can go to the Grand Line in our condition," she finally spoke, her tone serious. Both Zoro, who was napping, and Luffy, who was sitting on the figurehead of the boat eating an apple, turned at Nami's voice.

"You're right, we can't survive by just eating apples, we need meat!" Luffy said, chucking the core of the apple overboard.

"And some Sake would be nice too," Zoro spoke then and was quickly greeted by a flying apple in the face, courtesy of Nami.

"Is that all you two think about? Food is the least of our problems. I'm saying that the Grand Line is the most dangerous place in the world, there are other pirates who are looking for One Piece and they have strong crews and better ships. Not only do we lack numbers but we also don't have a decent ship," Nami explained patiently.

"So we just need more crew members, maybe a Chef…and a Musician," said Luffy.

"Musician..." Zoro started laughing at Luffy's priorities in terms of crew mates and Nami just sweat dropped.

"This is no laughing matter!" She eventually exclaimed. "If we head south, there's a small inhabited island. It would be best to find a good ship there." Nami sighed and turned back to looking at her various maps.

"Ahh~ finally. Let's go get some meat!" Luffy yelled, throwing her arms up in excitement.

"And some Sake too," Zoro added, closing his eyes again.

"Why am I even bothering to talk to either of you?" Nami sighed.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Syrup Village, it was a quiet and peaceful morning in the slow and typically uneventful town. Suddenly, a boy emerged from the forest, running down the path that led to the North shore. He wore a dark yellow plaid bandanna, a blue and white striped armband on his left arm, brown overalls with a white sash and no shirt underneath and carried a yellow satchel and a pair of rectangular goggles strapped around his bandanna.

"PIRATES ARE HERE, THEY ARE HERE ON THE COAST!" He screamed, sprinting through the small town. "THEIR BLOOD LUST IS LIKE NOTHING YOU'VE EVER SEEN! PLEASE RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" He eventually began to slow, huffing and panting from all the running, trying to get air back into his heated lungs. After he regained his breathing he suddenly threw his head back and laughed.

"Lie! It's all a lie," he laughed some more, amused by his prank, when a fraying pan slammed into the side of his head.

"You liar, wait till I get my hands on you!" A man yelled from the window the frying pan had come from. Then a door burst open and another man emerged holding a broom.

"You never learn, do you?" The thrower of the frying pan emerged from another door, holding a second frying pan in his hand.

"Once we're through with you, you will never tell a lie again!" One by one, the remaining doors began to open and more people holding weapons emerged. They all began to charge the boy, attempting to capture him but the long nosed boy didn't appear to be the least bit afraid of them. He actually appeared to be looking forward to the chase as his body began to shake with anticipation.

"Wait for it, Wait for it, Wait for it, Wait for it," he mumbled quietly, counting down before turning to run off, laughing in delight.

"Come and catch me!" He yelled as he ran back towards the woods and disappeared from sight. The villagers followed suit but quickly lost sight of him. It was a daily occurrence for them, he would lie, bait them, and run off before they could catch him.

"Great, he got away again."

"That boy has been causing nothing but trouble." With a sigh, the villagers finally gave up and slowly made their way back to their houses while the long nosed kid watched from the branches of a treem snickering at their retreating forms. That been his best lie yet and he lay back on the thick branch enjoying the peaceful breeze and warm sunlight.

"Today's lie was good. The refreshing wind sweeps through this boring village once again, signaling another normal day." His peaceful relaxation was soon disturbed by a loud and familiar voice.

"Hey, there he is!" The long nosed boy looked down to see two new boys. The first one was a freckled boy with short spiky purple hair wearing a red hat with a Pirates Jolly Roger on it. He wore a black sweater, a sash, lightly brown pants, and dark colored shoes. His name was Carrot.

The other one, named Pepper, had dark green hair shaped like a pepper. He wore a light green shirt with the same Pirates Jolly Roger on the front. He also wore a sash, dark blue pants, and black shoes.

"Good morning, Captain Usopp," Pepper said raising his wooden sword.

"The Usopp Pirate Crew is here." Carrot, the first boy, raised his wooden sword too as the long nosed boy, Usopp, jumped down from the branch and greeted both with a smile.

"Good morning, my fellow crew mates but uh, where is Onion?" Usopp asked. He soon got his answer when he heard a screeching scream. They all turned to look and saw their friend Onion running toward them looking very much afraid. He had straight brown hair and he wore glasses. He had on a yellow shirt with a blue jacket over it. He also had a sash, dark brown pants, and black shoes.

"It's horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE!" Onion yelled from afar.

"It's Onion," Carrot said, sounding bored. Onion was almost as bad as Usopp when it came to lying.

"What's he yelling about?" Pepper asked.

"PIRATES ARE HERE! THERE'S A BOAT HEADING TOWARD OUR VILLAGE!" Onion yelled but none of his friends believed him, they just sweat dropped.

"Stop that Onion, only I can come up with lies," said Usopp, a disbelieving expression on his face.

"It's not a lie; it's true I saw it."

"True!?" Usopp nervously asked, and Onion nodded much to Usopp's dismay. The older boy quickly turned and began to sprint away.

"I just remembered something! I forgot to bring my snacks."

"You lie!" the boys said in unison.

"Then I'm sick, the doctor said if I don't eat my snacks I'll die."

"Liar!"

"Captain, didn't you want to be a real pirate? How can you be a real pirate if you're afraid of other pirates?" Carrot asked. Usopp flinched at the question, it had been his dream to become a pirate ever since he was a kid, maybe this was his chance.

"I saw two boats and one of them had Buggy's flag on it," Onion continued, waving his hands for emphasis. Usopp began to shake like a leaf; he had heard of the Buggy pirates, they were the meanest pirates in the East Blue. Screw that chance, he didn't want to die.

'I better run' Usopp thought and he slowly turned back to continue running but before he could take a step, he heard Onion continue.

"But there are only three pirates, two girls and one man."

"ALRIGHT, let us fight! The Usopp Pirates will protect the peace of this village," Usopp yelled, quickly changing his mind, as he stood in his hero pose. The boys shook their heads in exasperation, knowing that the only reason their captain wasn't running away was because there were only 3 pirates.

"Onward, to battle!" Then Usopp ran off to defeat the incoming pirates. The kids watched him go, a little impressed. Even though their captain could be a coward, they still admired his courage and drive to protect his beloved village.

* * *

Nami, Luffy, and Zoro had finally made it to the island after sailing for another few days. Luffy was grinning like a happy child and bouncing from one foot to another, wanting to explore and hungry for some real food. Nami had told her that the village was called Syrup village and it had to have something she could eat. Zoro was yawning and stretching his cramped muscles, uncaring about his current surroundings.

"It's been a while since we've been on land," Zoro sighed, stretching his back, keeping one eye on his captain. He knew her penchant to run off as soon as they hit land.

"Ah, so the village is further down that way, right Nami?" Luffy asked as she stared at the rocky slope that would lead to Syrup Village, already inching her way up the path.

"Yes, although it's just a small village. Let's hope we can find a decent ship that will get us to the Grand Line," Nami replied with a nod, rereading her map.

"Do you think they have meat here, I'm starving?" The raven-haired captain whined, rubbing her flat belly soothingly.

"IS THAT ALL YOU THINK ABOUT!?" Nami hissed, annoyed by her seemingly one track mind. As Zoro yawned again, he heard a rustling from the bushes and swiftly put his hand on the handle of his white katana.

"Be careful, we're not alone" the swordsman muttered, causing Luffy to freeze and glance around, excited.

"Where, where, where? Is it an enemy or meat?" she asked, automatically moving closer to Zoro, trying to see where he was looking.

"Watch out!" Zoro yelled, hearing the attack as soon as it was launched, and then out of nowhere someone was shooting bullets at Luffy. She avoided every invisible bullet, her movements almost graceful as she dodged back in forth. The attack stopped after a second and several pirate flags emerged from the bushes, surrounding the Straw Hat crew.

"Wow! This is AWESOME!" she laughed, looking like a kid in an amusement park, as her eyes darted around the area.

"This isn't the time to be amazed." Nami's voice came from behind her and Luffy turned to see that her navigator had ducked back behind her boat. The she-pirate giggled at her friend's nervousness before turning back to the enemy in front of her when she heard a confident laugh. Before her stood a boy with a long nose. He was smirking down at her, holding onto a pirate flag planted in the ground next to him. Luffy gasped in surprise and shock, her eyes quickly scanning the boy, recognizing him from somewhere.

"Wait, that guy is…"

"I'm the Captain of the great Usopp Pirates and you three are trespassing in my territory. I strike fear into the hearts of the citizens with just the mention of my name! Now, behold and beware! My eighty million men will crush you like a little bug if you don't leave immediately." Usopp's voice held as much arrogance and confidence as he could muster as the flags around him fluttered proudly in the wind. Nami just rolled her eyes, at both the Boy's speech and at Luffy's clearly impressed face.

"It's a lie," the orangette said bluntly, rising from her hiding spot and approaching the group.

"Oh no, she saw right through it!" Usopp's smug demeanor immediately faded and he began to panic, fearful now that he had been discovered.

"See, he even said it," said Nami pointing at him, exasperated, but Usopp couldn't let her win completely so he quickly came up with another lie.

"Okay, so eighty million men might have been a bit of an exaggeration but I DO have many strong and powerful crew mates that can beat you!" As if to prove his point the flags started to shake, controlled by Carrot, Onion, and Pepper who were hiding in the bushes. Nami saw the three boys out of the corner of her eye and sighed again.

"I only see three of them."

"AHH~ SHE FOUND US, RUN!" All three of the kids dropped their props and scrambled back towards the village, leaving Usopp to his fate.

"Hey, you guys! Don't leave me!" Usopp whined, taking a step back as Nami approached him, picking a small ball up off the ground near Luffy's feet.

"A pirate that uses pinballs…" She muttered to herself, examining the small metal ball. "I've never heard of such a thing," Luffy just laughed, amused and a little impressed.

"You're a pretty funny guy," The female pirate giggled, finally remembering where she recognized Usopp from. She was so excited to finally meet him, the son of the Red Hair Pirates sniper. Her laugh only seemed to anger Usopp though and he growled.

"Shut up, don't you dare laugh at me. I'm a very prideful man because of my greatness, people call me Usopp the great!" Usopp drew out his green slingshot with a flourish, inserting a pinball and aiming the weapon at Luffy's head. The girl just continued to grin, not the least bit concerned by his threat.

"As you saw earlier, my slingshot skill is better than a pistol, so don't you dare make fun of me!" He continued. Luffy just tipped her hat, covering her eyes and quietly said.

"Now that you've drawn your weapon, are you willing to use it?" Her tone was cold and she lifted her head, revealing only one eye, a mischievous smirk on her lips. Usopp got goosebumps just by staring at the black haired girl's expression.

"Pistols are not for threats, they're for action," she continued, scaring the long nose even more. Zoro stared at Luffy, a little surprised at her suddenly serious demeanor before catching on to her plan. He smirked meaningfully before pulling out one of his katanas and taking a step forward.

"The girl that stands before you is a real pirate," He said, giving Usopp a sinister look that could even scare a fleet Admiral. Usopp flinched back as he stared at the shadowed and menacing looks on their faces. He started to sweat uncontrollably and the continued silence didn't help his fear and he finally dropped to his knees, hands on the ground in front of him.

"Oh man, real pirates are so cool; a real pirate's speech is much more intimidating, incredible!" The boy moped, shaking his head. Zoro and Luffy glanced at each other for a second before both began to laugh. Luffy's hands wrapped around her stomach as she bent over, giggling. She had always wanted to say that. Zoro just watched her laugh, grinning himself.

"I stole that line," Luffy finally admitted, straightening up and tipping her hat back. Usopp frowned, not quite understanding what she meant so she continued.

"I stole that line from pirate I admire, Shanks."

"Sh-Shanks?! You mean you know Red-Haired Shanks?" Usopp asked in disbelief. Luffy nodded, still smiling happily.

"Yeah, you're Usopp, right?" Luffy vaguely remembered what name Yasopp had told her and the long nosed pirate had just mentioned his name so she was pretty sure she had it right.

"Uh, yeah, how do you know my name?" Usopp was surprised that this girl he had just met already knew his name, forgetting that he had mentioned it to her earlier.

"I know because I know your Father, Yasopp." Once she said his father's name, Usopp gasped in utter shock and lost his balance from where he had been attempting to stand back up. He tumbled forward, falling down the cliff to land in a pile at her feet, thankfully unharmed.

"It's true. That's my father's name! Please tell me about my dad!" Before Luffy could reply, her stomach growled loudly. She blushed, a little embarrassed that her stomach had made such a loud noise.

"I'll tell about your dad once we get something to eat." She giggled. Zoro saw her blush and felt his heart flutter slightly. She looked kinda cute like that. Once he realized what he was thinking, he mentally shook his head.

'What the hell is wrong with me? First the boat, then this. I'm not thinking straight. Maybe I'm just hungry, that's got to be it.' he nodded, attempting to convince himself.

* * *

After the gang introduced themselves, Usopp led them to the town's restaurant and ordered food. As they enjoyed the peaceful silence while they ate and drank, Luffy struck up a conversation about Usopp's dad.

"I met your dad when I was young."

"So my dad is one of the Red-Haired Pirates?" Usopp asked excitedly, remembering what Luffy had said. The girl nodded as she took another bite of food.

"Yep, that's right. Your dad talked about you nonstop, practically made my ears bleed. I knew it was you when I first saw you." She scratched her cheek, trying to remember what had first caught her attention about him. "You look so much like him, except for the nose."

"Wow, I never thought my dad would be a part of the famous Pirate Shanks' crew." Usopp was really proud of his dad. To be a main member of such a famous pirate crew, his dad really was something else.

"That's right!" Luffy exclaimed. "He is considered the best sniper in Shanks' crew. He can shoot an ant between his eyes, blindfolded! I saw it once and it was so cool! Yasopp is a great pirate!" Luffy used her hands to emphasize her words, pointing between her eyes as she talked.

"Yeah, to risk his own life and indulge himself in the vast and endless sea. I feel so proud of my father," Usopp sighed happily, eyes unfocused as he dreamed of a life of adventure for himself, wanting to be a pirate just like his father.

"Well then, this makes our search a lot easier," said Nami, relieved.

"Hm, what do you mean?" Usopp asked, turning to the orange haired navigator.

"Do you know if there's anyone who can build us a ship or a place we could acquire a large ship in this village?"

"Sorry, no." Usopp shook his head sadly. "As you can see, my village is pretty small so there is no way I can fulfill your request."

"What about this big mansion on top of the hill?" Zoro asked, gesturing out the window towards the large house. Usopp cringed slightly.

"Hey, do you know them?" Nami had noticed Usopp's slight twitch. "I wonder if we can ask them to give us a little financial support?" The navigator's eyes had switched to berris as she thought of the amount of money those rich people had to have.

"Stay away from that place!" Usopp shouted, jumping to his feet and surprising everyone.

"Uh, I mean, I suddenly remembered that I still have something to do. So stay here and eat as much as you want and don't worry about paying the bill. I already talked to the owner of this restaurant, he's a good friend of mine, so see ya!" And then he was off running, leaving behind his new friends.

"I wonder why he's in such a hurry?" Nami frowned, pondering Usopp's strangeness for a second before shrugging it off, thinking it was nothing to worry about. Luffy and Zoro shrugged as well before all three continued to eat.

* * *

On top of the hill was a very large and beautiful mansion that was heavily guarded. It had a garden filled with many exotic flowers that could only be found in the East Blue.

Inside, in one of the rooms, was a girl. She was sitting on her bed holding her pillow to her chest in a tight grip. She was fairly tall, thin, and pale with blonde hair. She appeared to be very sick.

Next to her was her trusted and most faithful butler, Klahadore. He was a slim man with glasses and slicked green-and-black hair. He wore a black suit with two golden ornaments on it over a white shirt with a curious collar, with spiral-like protrusions on the edges, and a standard black tie. He also sported striped shoes.

"You want to see Usopp, not this again Lady Kaya," Klahadore sighed; his lady has asked him to see Usopp multiple times when she was clearly sick and barely able to walk.

"I'll be fine. I just want to see him," said Kaya softly. Klahadore sighed as he adjusted his glasses.

"That boy is nothing but a liar, his lies have become out of control and he may hurt you one of these days, my lady."

"But…"

"Your parents entrusted me with your safety and your well-being," he said firmly, adjusting his glasses again. Kaya was saddened to hear that but she believed Usopp was a good person, despite being a liar, and had always believed that. As always, Klahadore was too overprotective of her and wouldn't let her see her friend.

"Now, I will leave your medicine here, please remember to take it on time," The man said, turning to leave the room.

"Stingy" Kaya mumbled.

"I'm okay with stingy but no means no." and then he left.

* * *

Usopp managed to sneak inside the mansion using his secret passage by pulling aside a piece of a hedge that he had made long ago. Once he was in, he climbed up the tree and settled onto a branch that was right next to Kaya's room and knocked on her window using a pebble. After a second, Kaya opened the window and smiled, happy to see him again.

"Usopp!"

"Hey Kaya, you're looking weak as usual," Usopp said, saying his usual greeting as he seated himself comfortably on the branch.

"I'm sorry, I want to treat you as a guest but Klahadore just won't agree to it." She sighed softly beofre waving her arms hastily. "But he's not a bad person!"

"Ah, don't worry about it!" Usopp waved her off, grinning. "After all, I'm a brave warrior of the sea. Being in a small room would probably suffocate me to death." Then they both laughed.

"So, what tale are you going to tell me today?"

"Hmm, let's see…okay, I'll tell you about the time I fought the giant goldfish on an island in the South Blue when I was five years old."

"Goldfish?"

"Yeah, I landed on an uninhabited island when I realized it wasn't an island, it was just his droppings I was stepping on." Usopp gave Kaya a disgusted look before grinning. They both began to laugh, just enjoying their time together. Just the two of them.

* * *

Back with Luffy, Zoro, and Nami, the two girls were enjoying a calming herbal tea after finishing their meal. Zoro, on the other hand, refused to drink anything other than sake. All of them were relaxing, not knowing that they were being watched by the Usopp pirates, who thought that their brave captain was being held hostage by the three teens.

"That's them," Pepper confirmed, recognizing the people they had seen on the beach.

"C'mon, let's go inside and rescue our captain before it's too late!" Onion hissed, concerned for his captain's safety.

"But those are real pirates, we might get 'gulp' eaten!" Carrot whispered back, shaking in fear. He had heard that pirates were cannibals and he didn't want to get eaten.

"You idiot, pirates don't eat humans!" said Pepper. "Only witches." The purple haired kid nodded to himself, sure he had remembered that right.

"But there's no time for thinking now, we have a captain to rescue, this will be the Usopp Pirate's greatest battle ever!" They each raised their wooden swords and their eyes were filled with determination as they barged into the restaurant startling the Straw Hat crew.

"The Usopp Pirate crew is here, prepare yourself pirates!" They cried in unison trying to make themselves look brave enough to scare the three pirate teens, however they were greeted with silence. The Usopp crew began to sweat, worried, because not only had they failed to intimidate the pirates, but they didn't see their Captain anywhere. This worried them even more and they sprinted to the table where the three teens sat.

"Hey you Pirates," Pepper yelled, pointing his wooden sword at Luffy. "What have you done with our Captain, Usopp?"

"Where's our Captain?!" said Onion and Carrot as well, their tone demanding that the three answer. Luffy just took a sip of her green tea, enjoying the silky warmth sliding down her throat, ignoring the kids' outburst.

"Ahh~ nothing like drinking a good herbal tea after a meal" She sighed happily. "That was delicious!"

"M-meal?" the Usopp Pirates cringed and huddled together, their eyes darkening with dread.

"Don't tell me the Captain is…" Onion didn't want to finish the sentence out of terror and fear, and Nami was covering her mouth behind them, giggling at the boys who thought Luffy had eaten their Captain.

"Wh-what have you done to our Captain?" Pepper asked, as he and the others began to shake and sweat. Zoro just grinned, enjoying the looks on the boys' faces and thinking of a way to make things a little more…fun…for him.

"You're captain was…" He began with a terrifying look on his face.

"Delicious." And then the boys screamed, the sound high pitched and terrifying as their eyes turned to Nami, who hadn't been able to hold in her laugh. Their eyes bugged out even further as they watched her and they screamed again.

"AHHHHH! A WITCH!"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Nami yelled, slamming her fist into Pepper's head, causing a very large bump. Zoro started laughing wholeheartedly, one hand moving to cover his eyes.

Luffy smiled over at her first mate as he took a sip of his sake, liking the sound of his laughter. It made her feel happy and light. She started to laugh herself, punching the swordsman lightly on the shoulder. "That was terrible, Zoro!" She tried to berate him but couldn't keep the grin off her own face as he turned and smirked at her.

"It was only a harmless joke." He chuckled, taking another drink of his sake. Suddenly, Nami bashed Zoro's head with her fist, causing him spit his drink out and leaving a big bump on his head.

"You guys are nothing but idiots!" She hissed, still a little annoyed at being called a witch. Her new crew-mates were ill-mannered but in her eyes, Zoro was the worst of them all.

* * *

"Ah, it was only a joke, thank goodness," Pepper said, sighing in relief. The Usopp Pirates were glad that their captain was okay.

After the boys introduced themselves to Usopp's new friends they guided them to where their captain had run off to, which turned out to be the big mansion that Zoro had mentioned before.

"Wow, this place is huge!" Luffy whistled, eying the mansion with glee. To her, it was just another place to explore and she was starting to get excited.

"If you can't find the captain around this time of day, he's probably here." said Onion.

"What does he come here for?" Luffy asked, turning towards the boy.

"He comes here to lie," Carrot replied, moving to glance at the garden beyond the bars.

"That awful, he shouldn't be doing that," Nami scolded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"There's nothing wrong with it, what he does; it's different." said Pepper defending his Captain.

"What do you mean?" Zoro questioned, a little curious.

"Lady Kaya lives in this mansion and she is very weak," Pepper explained the story.

"A year ago, her parents died of an illness, and she's been depressed ever since, despite all the money she has, there was nothing that could cheer her up." Onion added.

"That's why the captain makes up outrageous lies. He does it to make her laugh, Captain's lying ability is first class, I'm sure you've never heard of a pirate captain like that before!" Carrot's tone was impressed. Even though they knew their captain could be a coward, Usopp was a good person and they wanted people to know that fact.

"So Usopp is good guy." Luffy caught what the boy's had been trying to get across and she smiled happily. She already knew that Yasopp's son was a good person, she could see that from the moment she met him. What Usopp was doing for Kaya was sweet and the boys nodded in agreement.

"I like the way he keeps meddling in other people's business." said Carrot.

"I like the way he overreact to everything." Pepper added.

"I like the way he lies." then lastly Onion added his opinion to the group.

"And that cheers the lady up?" Nami appeared bewildered that Usopp's lies made the girl of the mansion happy and as the boys nodded happily, she guessed that she had misjudged the long nosed boy.

"Good, then let's go in and ask her for a ship," Luffy suggested, remembering what Nami had said about their reason for being there.

"The one that cheered her up is Usopp," Zoro remarked. Just because they were Usopp's friends didn't mean that the girl, Kaya, would help them out.

"Getting in is impossible, there are very large bodyguards guarding the gates at all times." Pepper sighed, turning to look at where Luffy was standing, only to find that the raven-haired girl was gone.

"Where's Luffy?" He asked, wide eyed, head swinging from side to side.

"Let's go in and have a look!" The she-pirate said, causing them all to look at where she was approaching the gate.

"Wait; don't tell me you're…" Zoro began, but he didn't get to finish it as Luffy grabbed on to the spikes at the top of the gate before stretching herself back, preparing to slingshot.

"WHAT IS SHE?!"

"WHAT'S GOING ON!"

"SHE STRETCHED!"

"Sorry to…" as Luffy readied herself to launch, everyone sprang forward, grabbing onto the girl in an attempt to stop her.

"INTRUDE!" she yelled as she flew over the gate taking the others along with her.

* * *

"Then we threw a huge pinball down from the sky, scaring them away, and that's how we won!" Usopp finished the story and Kaya clapped happily at the wonderful ending. The she saw something in the sky.

"Hey, what's that?" Kaya asked pointing to the black dot in the sky that was slowly getting larger. Usopp looked up, following Kaya's gaze to see Luffy and the others…falling towards them really fast.

"YAHOO~" Luffy sang happily before she slammed into the ground, taking the others with her while Usopp screamed in surprise. As the smoke cleared it showed that Luffy and Nami had landed on the bushes, the Usopp Pirates landed on a grassy field, and Zoro had been unfortunate enough to land on the stone path. The swordsman groaned in pain as he sat up, feeling like his bones were now broken into a million pieces.

"HAHA, now that what I call an entry!" Luffy laughed, standing up and dusting herself off.

"NO, IT WASN'T!" Nami yelled, trying to calm her racing heart. If she had her way, she never wanted to do anything like that ever again.

"Are you alright?" Kaya asked worriedly, glancing at the new group, not recognizing the teens that had accompanied Usopp's normal crew.

"It's okay Kaya," Usopp soothed, waving a hand at the blonde girl dismissively. "They heard how great I was, so they came to join the Usopp Pirate crew." Luffy turned towards the window where Kaya sat, not immediately dismissing Usopp's lie.

"That's not it, we have a favor to ask," she asked, bowing towards the lady politely.

"Favor? From me?" Kaya blinked, a little surprised.

"Yes, we were looking for a large ship and…"

"You there!" Luffy was cut off by a voice to her right and she and the others turned their heads to see a man in a butler suit tottering towards them.

"Klahadore," Kaya whispered, shifting uncomfortably. Now that her butler was here who knew what he'd do or say.

"You're trespassing." The man said adjusting his glasses.

"And causing trouble here," he added. Usopp flinched, a little worried now that the mean butler was here. He was probably going to get it trouble and that would make it that much harder to sneak in here to visit Kaya. Luffy cocked her head to the side, not the least bit intimidated by the straight laced man, and mumbled.

"Who is this guy?"

* * *

Meanwhile, in the middle of Syrup Village, a man was slowly moon walking down the road that led from the south slope to the village. It was a very unusual thing to see. He wore a long coat and heart-shaped glasses and the villagers watched the man and his strange moves, almost entranced by his oddness. Eventually, they shrugged and turned away, thinking that he was probably just a harmless man, not knowing that he would bring nothing but trouble to their town.

* * *

Woohoo! Another chapter done. This arc is going to have a few cute ZoLu moments, especially with Luffy's accidental fall off of the cliff and the match against Jango and the Meowban brothers. I'm looking forward to getting those parts posted.

Thanks again to everyone who has stuck with me. Your support really gets me to write and edit and makes me work faster!

Hope you all enjoy and look forward to the next chapter!

Til then!


	10. The Weirdest Guy Ever

This chapter is kinda short and I apologize for that but there is a cute little ZoLu scene coming next chapter so I hope that makes up for this.

Thank you for all the fantastic reviews! I really cherish them!

Thank you Shirani-Chan, Shizuka Taiyou,and Tairulz!

Without further ado, enjoy!

This is not completely my story. Some conversations and parts have been borrowed from other Fem!Luffy and LuffyxZoro fanfictions. However, most of this has been completely redone and rewritten by me.

The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you)

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

* * *

The Weirdest Guy Ever! Jango the Hypnotist

Lies and Deceit, it's all around me. Lies and Deceptions, two bad surroundings, I see no point, I see no end. Those are your enemies, who you think are friends. You see and hear it, find it hard to believe, they don't want any good, but only to deceive. You don't know who to trust, everyone's a target, the things they'll do so hard to forget. Deceit and Deception, over and over, the chances of good friends, like four leaf clovers, they'll think you don't know, or won't find out, but surely you do so without a doubt, the things that's done determines your fate makes choices for the best, better soon than late. Lies spread like a diseased infection. Life's just full of deceit and deception….by Angeline Richards.

* * *

Klahadore was livid. Not only had Usopp managed to sneak past him and was once again telling Lady Kaya all those _stories_, but he had brought along six other people. Three he recognized as boys from the village, ones that followed Usopp around as part of his _Pirate_ crew. The other three were new though. A man, obviously a swordsman based on the swords he carried at his hip, and two women. The orange haired woman was unremarkable but there was something about the black haired girl that irked him. The way she was watching him, almost warily, as if she didn't trust _him_. She had also been the one to ask Lady Kaya a favor. His glare deepened, this had gone far enough. Kaya seemed to sense Klahadore's anger and she quickly said.

"Excuse them Klahadore, these people are…"

"You don't need to defend them, my Lady," The butler interrupted sternly, silencing the young blonde girl. He adjusted his glasses and turned to look at where she was leaning out of her window.

"I will listen to your explanation later; for now, I'd like all of you to leave this area at once or do you people have something to say?" His words were as sharp as a blade but Luffy just stepped forward calmly, her face melting into a soft smile, as if she didn't notice his strict tone.

"Yeah, we'd like a ship see…"

"Absolutely not," he snapped immediately, harshly, denying her request. Luffy's smile faltered slightly, a bit put out at his tone. Zoro placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, glaring at the butler. There was something he didn't like about that man from the beginning but this just cemented it. He wouldn't let anyone talk to his captain like that. He ground his teeth together and moved to take a step forward when a small hand covered the one still resting on Luffy's shoulder. He glanced down to see her shake her head, her lips twitching back up into that small smile and she glanced up at him before turning her gaze back to the butler. Klahadore just adjusted his glasses again and shifted his gaze from the raven-haired girl to the large tree next to Kaya's window.

"Usopp" he called out, knowing that the long nosed teen had hidden himself in the branches of the tree in an effort to go unnoticed.

"Crap," Usopp muttered, forcing himself back up onto the branch next to Kaya's window.

"I hear rumors about you all the time; you're pretty famous in this village, aren't you?" Klahadore said, his tone doubtful.

"You could say that," Usopp bragged with a chuckle, settling himself back into view of the others and standing up on his perch.

"So, you have faced all kinds of danger before. That's really something at such a young age," The butler spoke in a mocking manner that poor Usopp didn't seem to notice. Luffy's eyes narrowed slightly, her mouth set in a firm line. She didn't like where this was going, if this idiot of a butler insulted Yasopp's son she would knock him out. Kaya seemed to sense that some sort of insult was coming as well, she had a look on her face like she knew something very bad was going to happen soon and she wouldn't like it one bit. Usopp posed heroically and pointed at himself before saying.

"You may address me as Captain Usopp! That will help spread my name throughout the world."

"Captain, eh?" Klahadore snickered as he pushed his glasses up again.

"Then it's true that your father was a filthy pirate?"

"What?" Usopp cringed, not hearing Kaya gasp next to him.

"Klahadore, stop this at once!" The lady ordered but Klahadore ignored her and continued with his insult.

"You are the son of a lowly, filthy pirate." Usopp's teeth were clenched and his whole body was shaking with fury. At the base of the tree, Luffy didn't appear to be doing much better. Her face was shadowed by her hat and her fists were clenched at her sides, knuckles white.

"Although anything you do wouldn't be much of a surprise to me, would you please stop bothering Lady Kaya." Kaya was upset at Klahadore for saying such an awful thing about Usopp's father when the long nosed teen had been nothing but nice to her and the others were scowling at the butler.

"Who do you think you are? You have no right to call my father that!" Usopp growled but Klahadore ignored him and continued.

"You come from a totally different world from our Lady. Do you seek her fortune? How many times will you try to deceive her?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH KLAHADORE, APOLOGIZE TO USOPP AT ONCE!" Kaya yelled angrily. How dare Klahadore accuse Usopp of being a scoundrel. Usopp turned to look at her, was surprised by her outburst and his eyes widened with worry. In her anger, Kaya had leaned forward and was now nearly hanging out of the window. If she lost her balance she would fall!

"Hey Kaya, be careful!" Usopp hissed, reaching out an arm towards the lady, just in case. No one seemed to hear him though and even Klahadore ignored the lady's position and continued with his rant.

"Why should I apologize to such a barbaric man, Lady Kaya?" Klahadore asked, sounding genuinly confused, if still a bit smug. "I'm just stating the facts, but I do feel sorry for you, Usopp. Your heart must be filled with hatred; hated for your foolish father who abandoned you and your mother to take a life of a pirate."

Klahadore shook his head with feigned pity as he continued to ramble and insult Usopp's father.

"Klahadore," Kaya whispered.

"You bastard, you'd better stop insulting my father!" Usopp jumped from the branch he stood on, startling Kaya. She was worried he'd hurt himself but felt relief when she saw a flash of metal from the steel hook secured to the branch. It allowed Usopp to easily slide down and land safely on the ground. Once his feet touched the ground the hook disengaged itself from the branch and coiled itself back into Usopp's satchel.

"Why are you so agitated?" Klahadore asked, pushing up his glasses.

"It's times like these that you should just do what you do best; lie. Why don't you lie and say that your father is just a marketing salesman or that you have nothing to do with your father or better yet, that he's not your real father…" Klahadore continued to list off ideas, not noticing how Usopp's fists tightened at his sides. After a few seconds, the long nosed boy snapped and charged forward, punching Klahadore hard enough to knock him to the ground.

"Usopp." Kaya gasped in shock.

"Captain..." the Usopp pirate crew was also shocked. They'd rarely seen their Captain this angry before, but to see him actually hit someone...

Zoro, Nami, and Luffy just watched the scene before them, their expressions unreadable.

"See that! He immediately turned violent. No wonder they say 'like Father, like Son'." Klahadore snarled, wiping at his bruised cheek.

"SHUT UP!" Usopp shouted, causing the butler to flinch slightly.

"I'm proud that my father is a pirate, that he's a brave warrior of the sea! I'm very proud of him." Usopp pointed at himself and took up his heroic pose again. "Although it's true I lie a lot, I'm not ashamed of my heritage and that heritage is something I am honored about because his blood runs through my veins. For I'm son of a pirate!" He loudly yelled to everyone who was near, the pride clear in his voice. Luffy smiled fondly, Usopp was reminding her more and more of Yasopp, so brave a respectful. She was so happy that she had found Usopp at this island. He was a true pirate, maybe he would join her crew? She was drawn out of her thoughts when Klahadore snorted.

"Pirates are brave warriors of the sea, huh? You're pretty naïve to have that belief." The butler slowly rose to his feet and calmly dusted his suit.

"What?!"

"But you're right about one thing; you admitted that pirate blood flows within you. You like to lie and would resort for violence whenever something upsets you. You ultimate goal was to get Lady Kaya's fortune and that's why you got close to her."

"What are you talking about? I would never…"

"A pirate is a pirate no matter what you say, and your father's a pirate which is proof enough!" Klahadore shouted angrily.

"That's enough, I won't let you insult my father ever again!" Usopp grabbed the front of Klahadore's suit again and prepared to punch him again when Kaya's voice stopped him.

"Stop it Usopp, please don't use violence again." Kaya begged, coughing slightly. "Klahadore is not a bad person, he's only…he's only protecting me, so please." Her voice begged Usopp to stop, and as much as Usopp wanted to smack him to the ground, he couldn't hurt Kaya's feelings by hurting her butler so he let him slip from his grasp. He would let his anger go…for Kaya's sake.

"Get out now, and don't come close to Lady Kaya again," Klahadore said coldly.

"Yeah, you don't have to tell me twice." Usopp snarled. He turned and pushed his way past Klahadore, refusing to look at the smug man until he was out of sight. The Usopp Pirates were furious and they stuck out their tongues and spat at Klahadore in an effort to anger the older man.

"You bastard!"

"Stupid butler. Our Captain is not that kind of person," cried Carrot.

"That's right, you idiot!" growled Pepper.

"Yeah, you idiot!" Onion added, wanting to have his own say. Klahadore glared menacingly at the children, furious at them and their simple name calling. His dark expression caused them to scream in fear and they scrambled back to cower behind Nami. Luffy just glared at Klahadore, her stare intense, eyes promising retribution for what he had done to her friend.

"I'm gonna make you pay for what you just did," she mumbled, her words just loud enough for Klahadore to hear.

"Leave here at once" he ordered, growling at the raven haired girl. Luffy gave him one final glare, her mouth set in a firm line before she walked past the butler, heading in the same direction as Usopp, the others following behind her. Zoro paused in his walk as he neared Kuro and favored the man with a dark look. It was a look that said, 'hurt her or get in her way and I won't even give you the chance to beg for mercy.' One hand rested on the hilt of his sword for emphasis and he nodded at Klahadore curtly before following after his captain and the others.

* * *

Inside Kaya's room, the young lady was sitting on her bed again, her back against the headboard and her face buried in her pillow. She was sobbing softly, crying for Usopp and the horrible things that Klahadore had done to him. He didn't deserve that kind of treatment, he was a good person. Why couldn't Klahadore see him the way she did? She heard a soft knock at the door but didn't say "enter", she already knew who was outside. She heard the person open the door anyway and Klahadore entered, pushing a rolling cart that was filled with food and tea for her.

"Time for your meal, Lady Kaya," the butler said softly.

"I don't want it, I don't feel like eating." she mumbled quietly, refusing to look at him. Klahadore just sighed.

"You will break the Chef's heart by saying that. In consideration of your weak health, the Chef worked long and hard on this," he said trying to convince her to eat, knowing it would help her recover. He picked up a tall pot that was filled with warm milk and poured it into the tea pot. As he did, Kaya spoke.

"Why did you say such harsh things to Usopp?" Klahadore stopped what he was doing and stared at the small and fragile girl.

"I know it's my fault for seeing Usopp without your acknowledgment, but you didn't have to say such awful thing about him and his father." She continued. Klahadore gazed at the little girl sadly, he knew he had been harsh, but why couldn't she see that this was for her own good? He put down the pot and said.

"May I sit down?" he calmly asked.

"Go ahead" she replied with a sigh. Klahadore sat on the side of the bed as he stared at Lady Kaya and spoke.

"It has…been three years since I came to this house." Kaya lifted her head up and stared at Klahadore to see that he wasn't staring at her but his eyes were staring at something on the ground.

"What happened on that day…I still haven't forgotten." she understood what he was saying.

Three years ago, she was watering the flowers when she noticed Klahadore walking wobbly towards the mansion's gate till he collapsed. She remembered it clearly like it was yesterday.

"At that time, I made a careless mistake and I was kicked out of the ship where I worked. Without a job or any money, I was on verge of death," he spoke as he reminisced about the day he was saved by Kaya's late father. When they saw he was dying, Kaya and her parents brought him inside their mansion, treated and nursed him back to health, and when he finally healed Kaya's father took him in as part of the family and he worked as a butler.

"Your late father saved my life and…you, are his most precious daughter. To speak to you as an equal like this, I'm aware that I may have gone overboard. However, I cannot find the heart to trust this boy because…if…if anything was to happen to you; How could I face your father, who took me in?" he covered his face with one hand and his lower lip trembled as if he was ready to burst in tears.

"Forgive me, if I upset you in any way."

"No, I'm not upset. I know what're you trying to do and I'm very grateful to have you, Klahadore, but you're wrong about one thing. Usopp _is_ a good person," said Kaya, and then Klahadore got up and adjusted his glasses.

"However, whether or not he's a good person is a different matter." he said it again.

"Klahadore, you are so narrow-minded."

"I'm fine with being narrow-minded." he said as he turned his head to Kaya and smiled and Kaya smiled in return.

* * *

In the middle of the field on the outskirts of town, Zoro, Nami, Pepper, and Carrot were sitting against a fence. They were relaxing without a care in the world, as if they hadn't been rudely kicked out by that jerk. Onion wasn't with them, having said something about seeing something strange in the woods and had gone to investigate it. Luffy had disappeared as soon as they left the mansion, taking off in the same direction Usopp had gone.

"Hey, where did Luffy go?" Nami asked, settling herself on top of the thick wooden fence.

"Beats me," Zoro sighed. " Maybe she went after Usopp." Zoro leaned back against a post of the fence, his fingers interlaced and cushioning the back of his head. He wasn't overly worried about Luffy at the moment. For all the times he protected her, Zoro knew Luffy could take care of herself and this village was tiny. How much trouble could she honestly get into?

"The Captain should be 'there'." Pepper said after a second, nodding.

"Yeah, at the coast. Whenever he's troubled, he always goes there," Carrot added.

"Do you want to go and check on them?" Pepper questioned, turning to glance at Zoro and Nami, adding them to the conversation.

"Nah, I'll pass" said Zoro. Deep in his mind, he trusted his Captain. She would know how to deal with Usopp just like she had when she confronted Helmeppo. Then Nami faced the boys and inquired again.

"Speaking of which, where did your other friend go?"

"Oh, you mean Onion? He's always disappearing off to somewhere." Pepper said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Then he'll come out of nowhere, screaming," Carrot added, and right on cue Onion appeared over the crest of the hill, a look of sheer horror on his face, running towards them screaming.

"IT'S HORRIBLE!"

"See." The two boys stared at Nami with one eyebrow raised as their friend proved their point. Onion stopped to catch his breath before continuing.

"A man doing the moonwalk! A very weird man is doing the moonwalk."

"Liar" both Pepper and Carrot yelled, used to Onion's outrageous stories.

"It's true, look!" Onion pointed down the path, and true to what he said a man was walking backwards, doing the moonwalk. The weird man stopped and faced the three kids.

"Hey, who was it? Who's the brat that called me weird, I'm not weird!" the man exclaimed doing an odd spin before posing.

"You could've fooled me" scoffed Nami.

"That's ridiculous; I'm just a Hypnotist passing by."

"A Hypnotist, wow." Onion's expression was one of awe as he approached the newcomer.

"Can you show us?" Pepper asked excitedly.

"Yeah, show us!" said Carrot and the man suddenly glared down at them, exuding a menacing aura.

"What?! You must be joking, why should I show my Hypnotic skills to bunch of strangers I hardly know…?"

"Alright, I'll show you." he conceded quickly, magically pulled out a metal ring from his jacket.

"He's going to show them anyway." Zoro sighed, partially ignoring the spectacle.

"After I say 'one, two, Jango' you will fall asleep." the man exclaimed, beginning to swing the ring left and right.

"Got it? Here I go, one…two…JANGO!" As if a switch had been thrown the three kids tumbled backwards, asleep. Unexpectedly though, the hypnotist collapsed, asleep as well.

"WHAT KIND A HYPNOTIST ARE YOU TO FALL FOR YOUR OWN TRANCE!" Zoro's shouted, a vein appearing on his forehead.

* * *

Usopp sat at the edge of a cliff on the south side of the island, legs crossed, watching the waves crash against the shore because of the gentle wind. The sights and sounds calmed him completely but also produced a longing to sail on the open sea. Traveling from island to island, having adventures and excitement and feeling the thrill of adrenaline. Facing your enemies down like a brave warrior of the sea…like his father, but what always stopped him from leaving was Kaya

Ever since he first saw her, he had been in love with Kaya. He believed Kaya was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and wished that he had the guts to tell her that. Then when he heard about her parent's death and sudden illness, he decided to take matters to his own hands. He mustered all of his courage and went to her mansion and told all her about his adventures in the sea and thus began his daily routine. A routine for both him and Kaya, always looking forward to seeing her bright smile. Usopp was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice Luffy hanging from the branch in front of him.

"So this is where you were," Luffy said, smiling softly as Usopp flailed back in shock.

"Sheesh, it's only you. Can't you greet people in a normal way…What is it? What do you want?" he frowned, not really in the mood to deal with anyone.

"Nothing really," She let go of the branch, balancing herself in a handstand and started walking towards him in that manner. After a couple of steps, she fell to the side with a thud but didn't seem to mind the pain. Usopp blinked at the strange girl, shocked out of his sadness for a second before he returned to being somber. They sat in silence, the only sound being the waves breaking against the shore and Luffy clapping her soles together, hands gripping her ankles.

"That damn butler. How dare he insult my father like that," Usopp eventually mumbled.

"Yeah, that guy was a jerk and I don't like him either. It doesn't matter what anyone says, Yasopp still is and always will be a great pirate," Luffy replied, turning to smile at Usopp, who felt his enthusiasm returning with her encouragement.

"Yeah, he sure is! in the Great Pirate Era, my father sails the ocean without knowing what's ahead! I feel really proud of him…say, what about you? Is your father a pirate too?"

"Hmmm, nope." Luffy shook her head. "I don't have a father, in fact I don't even know if I have parents." Her words were straightforward, without a hint of sadness in her tone.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I may not know much about my dad but…Shanks has been like a father to me, he kept telling me stories about his grand adventures, meeting new and strange people, the parties they celebrated every day, and… he inspired me to become a great pirate and to be the first ever Queen of the Pirates like Gol D. Roger. He never stopped believing in me." Luffy smiled happily, her gaze unfocused as she thought back to her mentor and father-figure. She really loved talking about Shanks, telling people about how amazing he was.

"Wow, he must've really loved you a lot to encourage you to sail through the ocean, huh." Usopp said, a fond look on his face.

"Shihehehe yep," she laughed, rubbing her nose a little self consciously. "And one day we'll meet again and I'll show him how strong I've become!" Usopp smiled but it faltered after a second and he sighed.

"I wish I could sail to the open ocean one day as a pirate. But first I want Klahadore to come here and apologize for insulting my dad. He needs to beg for forgiveness!" he said self-assuredly.

"You mean him down there with the weirdo?" Luffy asked pointing down the cliff where Klahadore was walking with the heart shaped glasses guy.

"Yeah, that him…WAIT A MINUTE! What's he doing here?" Usopp crouched down on the ground and pulled Luffy down too, inching his way towards the edge to listen in to the conversation between the two men.

"Jango, didn't I tell you not to attract any attention in this village, yet you were sleeping in the middle of the road." said Klahadore irritated.

"That's ridiculous, I didn't attract any attention at all and I'm not weird either," The man, Jango, huffed. Klahadore frowned and adjusted his glasses with a bit of frustration.

"So, are the preparations for the operation complete?"

"Of course, we can start at any time…the operation to assassinate Lady Kaya." Jango said, smirking. Up on the cliff both Luffy and Usopp cringed in shock. Usopp couldn't believe what he was hearing. This man, Jango along with Klahadore, were planning to kill Kaya. Just the thought of it, his heart stopped beating instantly…they couldn't do that.

"Don't say assassinate, that sound wicked, Jango."

"Ah yes, an accident…it was an accident." Jango chuckled, remembering the plan.

"We can't just kill her, Lady Kaya has to die from an accident, don't ever forget that!" Klahadore bellowed at the last comment and sighed at his partner's incompetence.

"Sorry, we just have to wait for the signal to attack the village and then kill the little girl, right? Then, you will take her inheritance."

"Are you an idiot? Can't you use your brain for once. An outsider like me can't take her inheritance, I guess I have to retell you the plan again. Before we kill her, you'll have to hypnotize Kaya to write a will. In that will, you'll make her write that all her fortune will go to her trusted and faithful butler, Klahadore." A dark smirk formed on Klahadore's face and a frightening look entered his eyes. Usopp had never seen him like this, he could not believe it…the bastard that Kaya trusted with her life was betraying her to get her fortune. How could he do this to the girl whose late parents saved his life from the brink of death? Was he so heartless that he only cared for her fortune?

"It will be the first step of my plan to take over the huge inheritance, it's…perfect," The butler chuckled as he pushed his glasses.

"I spent three whole years here to win everyone's trust. So no one would be suspicious, even if she left all her inheritance to me."

"You became her butler for three years just for this, it really surprised me back then, Captain Kuro," said Jango as he did his weird dance spin.

"Three years ago…you suddenly said that you wanted to quit being a pirate. You got one of your crew to act as you in order to have the world think that Captain Kuro was executed. That marked the beginning of your devious plan. It's no wonder they call you Captain Kuro of a Thousand Plans." Jango was still impressed by his Captain's scheme.

"Don't call me by that name again," Klahadore, Kuro, scoffed at his vice-captain.

"I gave up my name three years ago; I just want her fortune and to not get chased by the Government anymore. Then I will become a peaceful citizen." he smirked at his plan and Jango laughed.

"I can hardly imagine as you a peaceful citizen, so for the sake of your own peace, you even went so far as to kill the brat's parents?"

"Now now Jango, her parent's death has nothing to do with me, it was unexpected," said Klahadore, or Kuro, truthfully, shaking his head softly.

"Oh well, it doesn't matter now, just hurry up and give the signal, our ship has been anchored nearby for almost a week already, my men are getting impatient" said Jango. He also couldn't wait to slice the girl into tiny little pieces after she wrote the will. Then all the fortune will be theirs for the taking.

Up on the cliff, Usopp's heart couldn't stop pounding, as if it was ready to burst from his chest. To think that after all this time Klahadore the butler was actually none other than Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates.

'This is bad, we just overheard their plan, I-I have to get to Kaya and warn her'

"Luffy, we have to get out of here. These guys are the real deal, that Captain Kuro is said to be the smartest and also the cruelest among all the pirates. I heard he was killed three years ago but now he is alive and here, and he is been impersonating as a butler to get to Kaya's fortune all this time. If we let this happen, the village will be attacked and Kaya will be in danger!" He imagined the villagers screaming in horror and Kaya's terrified face before a pirate struck her down before she could scream.

"This is really terrible." He grabbed his head as he tried to make the scary images go away. Luffy glanced between Usopp and the men, angry that they planned to kill someone who had been nice to her, someone that her friend cared about very dearly. With a frown she stood up, hands clenched tightly at her side and face determined.

"Hey, what are you doing? Get down before they…"

"Hey, you bastards! Don't you dare hurt Kaya!" she shouted, trying to catch the man's attention. Usopp fell behind her, unable to believe that she was actually stupid enough to call _Captain Kuro_ out. Below, the two men looked up to see the teens watching them from the top of the cliff.

"Who the hell are you?" Jango asked, his words harsh, but his tone a bit curious.

"Are you insane?!" Usopp panicked, scrambling to his feet. "Are you trying to kill us?! We've gotta get out of here!" The long nosed teen tried to grab Luffy's arm to drag her away but froze when he heard Klahadore's voice.

"Well well, if it isn't Usopp." Kuro's words were harsh and cold and his face appeared to be completely devoid of emotion. Usopp felt his body freeze with terror as he stared at the butler.

'I've been spotted too!'

"You wouldn't have happened to have heard our conversation, now would you?" His words were sharp, body coiled as if he was a viper waiting to strike.

"Nononono, we didn't hear a single word of it. We were just passing through, that's all," Usopp back peddled, trying to come up with a quick, but convincing, lie still pulling on the raven-haired girl's arm. Unfortunately, Luffy wasn't one for subtlety and she always spoke her mind.

"I heard everything" she said, placing her hands on her hips and glaring down at the two men.

"Shut up!" Usopp hissed, letting go of her arm to smack her on the shoulder.

Kuro sighed, a little exasperated. Now that his plan and secret had been revealed to these two, he had no other choice. He used one arm to signal Jango and pointed up at the two teens, silently ordering the other man to take care of them.

"I guess it can't be helped." Jango sighed, pulling out his hypnotic ring. "Hey, you two!" Both Luffy and Usopp turned their gaze from Kuro to stare at the other odd man as he dangled the ring in front of his face.

"Look carefully at the ring."

"A ring?" Luffy, always curious, followed the ring with her eyes as it began to swing from side to side, looking almost like a cat tracking a bird.

"I don't like this, its got to be a weapon," Usopp exclaimed, covering his eyes with his hands and peaking cautiously between his fingers. Jango began to swing the ring more purposefully as he talked.

"With 'one, two, Jango' you'll fall asleep, got it? One…two…JANGO!" Before the words had even left his mouth, Usopp had leapt backwards, curling into a ball in fear. He cowered for a few seconds but when nothing happened, he began to get curious. Uncovering his head, Usopp glanced back towards the cliff where Luffy still stood, her back to him.

"That was odd," He muttered, moving to stand up. "Nothing happened. Luffy?" The long-nosed teen became a little concerned when Luffy didn't answer him and he took a step towards her right as she let out a soft snore. At the base of the cliff, Jango had also fallen for his hypnosis and was currently using Kuro's back as a makeshift bed.

"You idiot, you fell for your own hypnosis again." Kuro muttered, frustrated with his vice-captain. "I thought you had gotten that under control."

"Asleep?" Usopp asked, watching Luffy warily, still a little confused. The girl let out another soft snore as she began to pitch forward, unable to remain standing while she was sleeping.

"Hey, what are you doing? You're going to fall!" Usopp cried, trying to grab her. He had reacted too late though and his hands missed her tunic by mere centimeters as she fell forward, tumbling down the cliff with a loud crash.

"She fell down, from that height no one could survive that fall." Jango muttered, having finally woken up. He shook his head as he observed the girl's frail form crumpled on the beach in front of him. He hadn't really wanted to kill her, but orders were orders. Usopp clenched his fists on the grass as he knelt at the edge of the cliff, staring down at Luffy's unmoving frame.

"Shit, that guy…killed her."

"So, what do you want me to do with the other one?" Jango asked, turning to Kuro as he pointed up at Usopp.

"Nothing, no matter what he says, his words won't reach out to them. After all, he is nothing but the village's liar." Kuro turned away from the cliff face and he took a step back towards the village. "We will start the plan tomorrow morning," He ordered Jango. "Attack the villagers at dawn and make it look like an accident when you kill Kaya."

"Do you hear that, Usopp?" Kuro turned his gaze up to the long-nosed teen, smirking menacingly at him as Usopp forced himself to his feet and disappeared into the woods.

"Are you sure about this?" Jango asked.

"Of course, my plan will not fail!" his eyes flicked back over to the body of the girl who had tried to stand up to him and he grinned, feeling a rush of satisfaction at the sight.

'This is bad…this is bad, the entire village that I know and loved will be slaughtered and Kaya will be killed too. I can't let that happen' Usopp chanted over and over in his head as he ran, trying to get to the village as fast as his feet could carry him. An image of Kaya's beautiful smile appeared in his mind and the memories that he and Kaya had shared, the stories he'd told her, the laughter they shared, the smile on her face brightened his heart with love. As each memory passed through his mind, tears ran faster and faster down his cheeks and he eventually let out a choked scream.

"KKAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAA!"

* * *

Another chapter down! I think this shall become my new schedule. I will have at least one chapter up a week, more if I get in the mood to work.

I've been having a lot of ideas run through my head for later chapters and later arcs. I feel like Zoro will become fully aware of the fact that he loves Luffy sometime either in the Baratie arc or in Arlong Park. I think he'll come to terms with it shortly after that. I'm trying to think of a time when I feel Luffy will start to realize her own feelings. As naive as Luffy can be, she is not stupid so she'll eventually realize it. I think it will be interesting watching the rest of the crew figure out that they love each other. Nami already knows and I think Usopp'll figure it out pretty quickly but still, it'll be fun.

I've got an original chapter idea for sometime after Alabasta, because that's when Luffy gets her serious bounty for beating Crocodile and I've got a cool idea for that. This means I've got to sit my butt down and start writing though, lol.

Anyway, my rant is over. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, short though it was and look forward to the next one!


	11. Expose the Plot

Next chapter up! Every time I post one I think, we're getting closer to the Baratie and jealous Zoro and then I get excited.

I hope you enjoy and I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I'm done.

Thank you for all the fantastic reviews! I really cherish them! You guys really rock!

Thank you Shirani-Chan, dante stigma.5, Vampchick2010, jadecraze, and Kaima.

This is not completely my story. Some conversations and parts have been borrowed from other Fem!Luffy and LuffyxZoro fanfictions. However, most of this has been completely redone and rewritten by me.

The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you)

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

* * *

Expose the Plot! Pirate Butler, Captain Kuro

When explanations are hard to produce. Lie after lie comes shining through, truth gets locked away for reasons only known to yourself. Truth may hurt but the lie hurts more, one lie to cover another. What was the first lie? Can you remember? So much hurt and too many lies. What's the truth? Will I ever know? Can I ever separate the two?...by Louise Witwit.

* * *

At the field Zoro, Nami, and the Usopp Pirates were still relaxing and waiting for Usopp and Luffy to return from the coast. It was a peaceful moment with birds twittering and the wind rustling through the trees. Suddenly Zoro felt a cold shiver from his head to his feet. It startled him and he reached out and pulled Wado closer, his body tensing, as if readying for a fight as his eyes darted around the field. Some part of his mind screamed that something bad had happened and it had something to do with Luffy. Could Luffy be in trouble? His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword and his teeth clenched. Was she hurt? All he knew was that he needed to get to the coast... now!

"Captain sure is late," said Carrot breaking the silence, not noticing Zoro's tensed appearance.

"He must be more depressed than I thought," added Onion.

"Whenever he gets upset, he always heads for the coast and stares at the ocean." said Pepper. Zoro brought his legs underneath him, prepared to spring to his feet in a moment's notice, but staying still and listening to the others talk. He couldn't shake off the feeling that Luffy was in trouble and he had no idea where the feeling was coming from. It worried him slightly but his thoughts were interrupted when the kids yelled out.

"Captain!"

He looked up just in time to see Usopp running extremely fast towards them, an alarmed look on his face. His eyes widened and his heart clenched when he realized that Luffy wasn't with the long-nosed teen.

"Wait, isn't Luffy supposed to be with him?!" he asked, pushing himself to his feet, his hand tightening on the handle of his sword.

"Captain!" the Usopp Pirates yelled cheerfully, trying to catch his attention, but Usopp just ignored them as he ran past.

"Where's Luffy? Didn't she go to the coast with you?!" Nami asked, taking a half step forward, a little concerned at the look in Usopp's face. The teen just ignored her too and kept on running.

"You suppose he's still angry about having his father insulted and all?" She muttered, staring after the curly haired boy in bewilderment.

"I don't think so," Zoro answered, teeth clenched.

"He's right, I've never seen Captain Usopp like that." said Carrot.

"Ah, something must've happened." Pepper concluded.

"But what could have happened to him?" Onion added.

"Hey, do you know how to get to the coast?" Zoro inquired; he was really worried for Luffy's safety now. It wasn't like her to not be here. If Usopp was this upset she would have followed the boy, which meant that something was preventing her from coming. Zoro's eyes narrowed, if anyone had touched her he would personally deal with them. He glared down at the boys, who were still ignoring him.

"You guys think that something's happened?" asked Carrot, pulling the other two boys into a group huddle.

"Yeah, something must've happened at the coast." Pepper nodded.

"The Usopp Pirates will take action once again," said Onion excitedly.

"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND TELL ME HOW TO GET TO THE COAST ALREADY!" Zoro yelled, finally fed up with being ignored and wanting to get to the coast as quickly as possible.

* * *

Once Usopp made it to his village, he started to shout louder than he ever shouted before, the lives of his beloved village and the people in it were at stake if he didn't warn them.

"PIRATES, PIRATES ARE HERE, I'M NOT KIDDING THIS TIME! PIRATES ARE REAL AND THEY ARE COMING, RUUUUUUNNN!" but his cries fell on deaf ears because none of them took even a second glance at him. His eyes twitched and he tried again.

"Please listen, tomorrow morning, the pirates will be attacking this place, everyone run. Please!" Nothing, not a single person was on the street, no windows cracked, no doors opened. No one was listening but he refused to give up.

"Please, this is not a lie, real pirates are coming, please." And then to his relief, every house's doors began to open and one by one villagers emerged. But his relief disappeared when he saw the looks on their faces and that they were carrying large forks, brooms, and other objects.

"Haven't you learned anything yet, when will your lies ever stop?"

"We had enough of your lies, it's time for your lies to end." Every one of them believed Usopp was doing one of his lie games again. Usopp quickly tried to reason with them, waving his hands in front of his face.

"No, it's not like that. This time I'm telling the truth," He insisted, however none of the villagers believed him. Instead they all gave him looks filled with mix of irritation and disappointment.

"Shut up, why should we believe you? Do you think we would fall for that?"

"If only you were trustworthy as Klahadore, then we might believe you." That remark seemed to stab him right through his chest and then he remembered what Kuro had said before.

"_No matter what he says, his words won't reach them. After all, he is nothing but the village's liar_" This was why Kuro didn't kill him when he had the chance. He knew that the villagers wouldn't believe a single word Usopp said and what was worse, they trusted Klahadore like he was their friend. Usopp gritted his teeth in frustration and cursed that slippery man to hell.

"Everyone, please listen to me this time. Real pirates are coming tomorrow morning to attack this village." he told them again, practically begging, but it only made them madder.

"If we had believed your stories, we would've abandoned our village several hundred times already."

"Please, believe me, you've got to hurry, I'm telling you the truth, you'll be killed if you don't leave, this is the truth."

"This time, we will catch you and teach you a lesson." The villagers advanced on Usopp, who was forced to take a few steps back. He gritted his teeth, not knowing what to do, before turning and running away from the angry mob.

"DAMN IT!" For the first time in his life, he regretted all the lies he had ever told the villagers. Because of that, no one would ever believe him. But there was still hope, he just had to get to Kaya. She was the only one who would believe him, Usopp was sure of that.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kaya was in her bedroom, clapping her hands together with joy at the sight before her. Her dear friend Merry had just returned from his trip and retrieved the present that she had ordered. Merry was a tall, formally dressed butler whose most distinguishing feature was his lamb-themed appearance. His hair was curly like a lamb's fleece and he had two lamb horns sticking out of it; his lips also resembled those of a lamb's and even his collar had a fleece around it. He held out the purple box to Kaya, who quickly grabbed it and opened it, revealing a pair of brand new glasses.

"These will do, won't they? These glasses were especially ordered from the next town over and I've just returned with them." said Merry.

"Yes, it's perfect. I'm sorry to have made you run all the way to the other town," Kaya replied, smiling apologetically at Merry.

"There is nothing to be sorry for Lady Kaya." The butler waved off her apology. "It has been a pleasure to serve and help, after all this is a present, isn't it?" Merry exclaimed with a smile, and she nodded.

"Tomorrow will be the 3rd anniversary of Klahadore's arrival to this mansion. He has been taking care of me all those years," Kaya said softly as she hugged the case.

"I'm sure that Klahadore will be very delighted." Merry reassured. Both were smiling happily, thankful that Klahadore had come and become part of their life, not knowing that very same person was about to betray them.

* * *

Zoro, Nami, Carrot, Onion, and Pepper had finally made it to the coast where Usopp usually went when upset, hoping they could find Luffy but she was nowhere in sight which worried Zoro even more.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Nami questioned, glancing around.

"Of course, this is where the Captain comes whenever he's troubled." Carrot answered, crossing his arms over his chest and nodding.

"It makes him feel good being here," said Onion.

"Yeah, but where is Luffy? I don't see her anywhere," said Pepper worried. Zoro frowned, eyes darting around the open area, hand still firmly grasping the hilt of his sword.

'Where could she have gone,' he wondered. 'Luffyko?'

Nami walked towards the edge of the cliff carefully, balancing herself as she stared out and down at the ground below.

"This place is pretty steep," she mumbled to herself, moving as cautiously as she could.

"Nami, be careful there." Zoro spoke, not bothering to look at the orangette, his eyes continuing to dart around, looking for any sign of Luffy.

"Alright." As she moved to slowly back away, her eyes caught a flash of red on the shore beneath her. Nami looked closer, her eyes widening and one hand flying to cover her mouth as she gasped in horror.

"LUFFY!"

Everyone turned their heads in surprise, Zoro's heart clenching at the tone in Nami's voice. He and the boys quickly rushed to where she was standing and followed her gaze to the shore, gasping at the sight before them. Luffy lay at the base of the cliff, crumpled and surrounded by piles of rocks, looking for all the world like she was dead. Her hat had fallen from her head and lay nearby, fluttering slightly in the wind and water from the coming tide gently lapped at her feet. Zoro continued to stare down at the girl, his mind seeming to not comprehend the sight before him, but his chest clenching in agony.

'No, it can't be... This isn't happening…Luffy…Luffy…'

"LUFFY!" He screamed, pushing past Nami as he moved to the edge of the cliff, finding a steep but solid portion that he could slide down. Rocks and dust tumbled down around him as he slid down the rocky slope, nearly loosing his balance a few times in his haste to get to his captain. Once he reached her though, he stopped, frozen in place. His body felt numb and his blood ran cold as he gazed at the lifeless raven-haired girl, watching the wind ruffle her short hair.

'No... No! Why do I have to lose another one?!…not her…please, anything but her.' He shut his eyes tightly, unable to stare at her peaceful face and felt tears begin to prick at the corners of his eyelids. He hadn't cried since that time but he couldn't seem to stop himself and his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his whole body shaking.

"She's alive!"

The words broke through the haze forming in Zoro's mind and his eyes snapped open with a gasp. He stared down at Nami, who had followed him down the cliffside and was currently checking the raven-haired girl over. The orangette placed her fingers to Luffy's neck, trying to feel her pulse, wanting to be right, to erase that defeated look from Zoro's face. The swordsman watched Nami work, his chest swelling with hope and he cleared his throat in an effort to mask the emotion in his tone before finally asking.

"What?"

"She's alive. The fall didn't kill her but the impact must have caused her to fall unconscious." Nami explained, sighing in relief. Zoro quickly dropped to his knees on Luffy's other side and reached out, resting one hand on her covered stomach and the other on her head, hands shaking with relief. He clenched the hand on her stomach into a fist in an effort to stop the shaking and let out a relieved chuckle.

"She's okay, thank goodness." Pepper exclaimed, the boys finally making their way to the teens, having taken the longer and safer way down to the beach.

"I'm glad." Carrot added. Luffy had been nice to them, he was happy she was still alive.

"But how did she survive that fall?" asked Onion bewildered. Now that he was thinking clearly, Zoro thought he might have an idea. He had never really asked Luffy about the specifics of her devil fruit power but if she could reflect a cannonball then maybe she could survive a long fall. He was drawn out of his thoughts when a soft whimper came from beneath him and he glanced down in time to see Luffy's eyes slowly flutter open as she regained consciousness.

"Ow, my head hurts," she hissed, lifting one hand to massage at her head as she tried to sit up using her other. Zoro's hands were there as she did, helping the warm and very much alive girl into a sitting position. It was then that Luffy took notice of all of the people surrounding her.

"What's going on guys?" She asked tilting her head, slightly confused. "What are you staring at me for?"

Before anyone could reply, Zoro's arms wrapped around her and yanked the small girl into his lap, clutching her to him. He lay his forehead on her shoulder and chuckled slightly in relief, feeling a lot calmer now that Luffy was awake and returning his hug. After another second, he pulled back, placing his hands on Luffy's shoulders and forcing her to stare at him. When she tilted her head at him curiously, he grinned and she mirrored his smile.

"You scared us Captain," he said, squeezing her shoulders once more before releasing the she-pirate.

Luffy opened her mouth to reply but froze when she remembered what had happened right before she fell asleep. Her eyes widened and a hand moved to cover her mouth.

"Oh no!" She breathed, glancing around, growing more worried when she didn't see the curly haired teen. "Where's Usopp?! Something bad is going to happen!"

* * *

Outside the mansion wall, Usopp was panting hard after running away from the angry mob. He was frustrated that no one in his village seemed to believe him but what mattered now was Kaya. She was in more danger than the villagers and warning her was the most important thing in his mind. He took one last gulp of breath, readying himself, and quickly removed the hedge block that he used to sneak inside the mansion grounds. He tossed it to the side, not caring where it landed and made his way to Kaya's window.

Kaya was on her bed reading a medical book in peace, when a small rock hit her window. She was startled by it but relaxed when she realized who it was, Usopp had come back. She got up from bed and opened the window and smiled at Usopp.

"Oh Usopp, I'm so relieved that you're alright," she said, but her smile has disappeared when she saw the grim look on his face, she thought he was still angry at Klahadore but she didn't expect what Usopp just said.

"Kaya, you need to run before you'll get killed."

"What are you talking about Usopp?"

"You've been double-crossed, Klahadore is actually a pirate." And then silence befall on them till Kaya spoke.

"Wait a minute; is this part of your story?"

"This is not story. I heard it with my own two ears, Klahadore is a real pirate. He became your butler for the past three years just to get your fortune, don't you see Kaya…he betrayed you so he can have all your fortune to himself." As he spoke, Kaya stared at Usopp seriously, trying to find out if this was really a joke.

"What are you talking about, Usopp?"

"I heard him talking to an old crew member, saying that they were coming to kill you." Kaya's hands fisted in her lap as Usopp continued to talk bad things about Klahadore. She had never seen Usopp act this way before and it was making her upset with him.

"He's a cold-blooded killer! You need to hurry and escape!" Usopp instructed, wanting her to move now, before it was too late. Kaya just looked up and stared right into Usopp's eyes and said.

"I know what he said was harsh and cruel…but to lie like this…this is not like you, Usopp!" Usopp's heart clenched at her words. First, the villagers didn't believe him, and now Kaya too.

"No, I'm not lying," then he started to shake. It hurt to hear that the one person he loved more than anything doubted him. It hurt so much that he couldn't breathe, he could barely force his words out.

"I'm telling the truth…I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!"

* * *

"WHHHHHHAAAA~ Kaya will be killed? The village will be attacked? Is this for real?" The Usopp pirates screamed after Luffy explained why she was so worried about Usopp.

"Yup, that's what they said, no doubt about it." she nodded, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against Zoro's chest. Since she had woken up, her second-in-command had forced her to remain sitting, letting the small girl use him as a sort of recliner. Nami had arched her eyebrow at Zoro when the swordsman pulled the she-pirate into his lap and forced her to rest against him.

Though Nami couldn't really blame the green-haired man. She had seen his face when he thought Luffy was dead, he needed this contact with her, it didn't mean that she wouldn't tease him endlessly about it later though.

"As we thought, Klahadore is an evil person," said Carrot.

"No wonder he was so creepy." Pepper spoke.

"This must be the reason why Captain ran like crazy towards the village," Onion said, glancing over his shoulder at the village.

"Aren't you guys relived to have heard all this beforehand. Now we can escape before they can attack, they got careless." Nami stated, relieved.

"Yeah, she's right, we should make run for it too!" said Carrot.

"Yeah, we should just take the important stuff," Pepper stated.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Onion agreed, the three all nodding in unison before turning to run back towards their homes.

"Freeze" Luffy cried, throwing herself out of Zoro's lap and stretching her arm out to stop the three boys from going any further.

"We aren't going to run away. Usopp is probably on his way to the village to warn them and even if they did escape I doubt that jerk and his weirdo friend are going to let you and the others live, so first we will find Usopp and then we will fight those pirates!" Luffy declared, snapping her arm back and grinning at the group.

"WHAT?" Nami and the Usopp Pirates screamed, their jaws dropping to the ground in shock. Zoro, quickly recovering from the sudden disappearance of Luffy's warmth against his chest, just smirked knowingly.

"I guess we'll fight then. It's been while since I fought and my swords are itching for a fight." He uttered, nodding at his captain, letting her know that he was behind whatever course she chose.

"Then it settled, let's go kick some pirate ass!" She yelled, grinning.

"Do we have to?" the others whined.

* * *

Meanwhile, Usopp stared at Kaya, a look of disbelief, hurt, and shock on his face. She didn't believe him, not a single word that he uttered. She thought he was doing nothing but lying to her, and that hurt him more than he thought anything could. Kaya, on the other hand, was watching her long nosed friend with a look of sadness on her pretty face.

"I-I really like…the stories that you made up, I loved them all. Why did you have to say such a thing?" she asked. Her vision swam in front of her face, Kaya starting to feel a little lightheaded, her legs turning to jelly. She braced one hand on the windowsill, about to fall, but Usopp saw he movement and caught her. His arm snaked around her waist, holding her close while his other braced against the window frame.

"Kaya, listen to me, I didn't say any of this to get revenge on Klahadore," he insisted, trying to assure her that his words meant nothing like that.

"Then…why would…"

"Kaya I…" before he could say another word, the bedroom door burst open and Merry entered, a vexed look on the man's normally calm face.

"Lady Kaya, are you alright?"

Merry gasped when he saw Usopp holding onto his lady. He quickly brought out a revolver that he had decided to carry just while the other servants were away. Usopp saw the flash of metal and placed his other arm around Kaya, jumping down from her window. With the agility of a cat he landed on his usual branch and then quickly jumped down to the ground, landing safely on his feet, Kaya held securely in his arms.

Once he landed, he set Kaya gently on her feet, turning just in time to see three bodyguards with guns ready and loaded, aiming at him. But Usopp was prepared, he drew out his slingshot and with an accuracy he inherited from his father, knocked down the three men.

Kaya watched the whole thing unfold before her with horror. Why was Usopp doing this? Why was he hurting them? What in the world had gotten into her friend?! Her voice wouldn't work though. She couldn't make the questions come as she watched the long-nosed teen battle with a fury that reminded her of the tales of... pirates. It couldn't be that what Klahadore said was true? That Usopp was nothing but a pirate who cared only for himself and that he was only after her fortune, it couldn't be that Klahadore's harsh judgment had been right?

Once Usopp had taken down the last of the bodyguards, he ran back towards Kaya and grabbed her wrist.

"Come, let's go," Usopp insisted, trying to get her to follow him, but Kaya refused to move.

"Once tomorrow comes, you'll believe me. But for now, we need to leave. Please Kaya, you need to listen to me…"

_**Slap**_

Usopp's already cracked heart broke in a single instant when Kaya…_his_ Kaya slapped him across the face. His cheek would be bruised later but he ignored the stinging pain, the real heartache coming from the fact that Kaya had turned away from him. She was refusing to look at him but he could clearly see her face…her expression marred with disappointment.

"What you are doing…is despicable," she muttered coldly. Usopp could no longer feel anything, the only thing he felt was the silence in his chest, where his heart felt like it was no longer beating. Then Merry rounded the corner and took aim at Usopp with his revolver.

"Leave Lady Kaya alone." Usopp was brought out of his thoughts at Merry's shout and he dropped Kaya's arm, turning to run away. Merry followed Usopp's movement, his target sighted and prepared to fire but before he could shoot, Kaya stepped in front of him.

"NO, DON'T!" Merry gasped and he quickly twitched his arm to the side, averting his aim away from his lady as his shot fired. Usopp cringed at the throbbing pain that suddenly bloomed on his left arm and he stumbled, feet tangling in a tree root. He quickly forced himself to his feet, covering the wound on his arm with his other hand as he turned to take one last look at Kaya. His expression was broken and he appeared to be fighting back tears as he turned away and ran off. To make things worse, Merry had stopped the approaching villagers and told them about him and what he had done. Usopp ran out of the village as the villagers continued to chase him.

'Why...won't anyone believe me...why didn't you believe me…Kaya!'

* * *

The sun was finally beginning to set, signaling the end the day as Usopp walked aimlessly through the woods. He had finally managed to get away from the villagers and, while holding his bleeding arm, he walked along the path reminiscing on a fond memory from when he first came to help Kaya.

*_Flashback_*

_"Who are you" the young, blonde lady was startled at his sudden appearance._

_"I'm Usopp, brave warrior of the sea. You have seemed unhappy lately, so I came by to cheer you up."_

_"I don't know why you are here, but it's wrong to meddle other people's affair, so please leave."_

_"Don't make such a fuss out of all of this, I'll just take a little of your time. Let me tell about the time I saved a whale from the North Blue when I was three years old."_

_"A whale?"_

_"That's right, a very large whale, his throat was hurting so I explored inside it, but he mistook me as its food," Kaya began to laugh in excitement at the silly story and insisted he keep going, waving her hands for emphasis._

*_End Flashback_*

The tears Usopp had tried to hold back overflowed and he began to cry at the memory, turning back to glance sorrowfully at his village through watery eyes. He knew that there would be nothing left of his village once the pirates came tomorrow and Kaya would be…he bit his lower lip as more tears ran down on his cheeks. What was he supposed to do now?

"CAPTAIN!" Usopp looked up from where he had been staring at his feet to see his fellow crew members waving at him from the crest of the hill. He quickly wiped away his tears and hid his injured arm behind his back before putting on a confident smile as they approached.

"Oh hey, guys!" He called, noticing that Zoro and Nami were with his crew. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped in shock when he noticed the raven-haired girl being held semi-possessively behind the swordsman. She tilted her head at Usopp's stare and waved, clearly alive. Usopp quickly ran towards her and asked.

"Hey, you're still alive?"

"Alive? Of course, I'm alive, why wouldn't I be?" Luffy asked, smiling cluelessly.

"She was okay Captain, just asleep," Carrot explained. "But Luffy explained what happened."

"We need get to the village and warn everyone," said Onion.

"Warn…everyone." Usopp repeated, the blood draining from his face as he remembered the villagers' words.

"_Despicable._"

"_Shut up, why should we believe you? Do you think we would fall for that?_"

"_If only you were as trustworthy as Klahadore, then we might believe you!_" His body began to shake, his mind in turmoil as he remembered those words. Luffy and the others watched him, a little worried, when all of a sudden, Usopp started to laugh.

"It was a lie, like I always do. I was so pissed at that Klahadore so I went around saying he was a pirate." he continued to laugh, the Usopp pirates laughing with him.

"Ah, I get it," said Pepper.

"Even Luffy was fooled by Captain," Carrot said, his tone impressed. As the three laughed they one by one began to walk away from the group.

"Hey, where are you guys going?" Usopp asked, flinching when they turned back to look at him and he could see the disappointed looks on his Crew's faces.

"I'm starting to lose respect for you, Captain." said Carrot, sighing.

"Me too!" exclaimed Pepper.

"Me three! Even though the butler was bad, we never would've thought that you use your lies to hurt others," Onion finished, turning away from Usopp's sad face. "…to think we used to look up to you, Captain." They crested the ridge, walking out of sight and leaving behind a heartbroken Usopp and the Straw Hat crew.

* * *

Night time had come and the four teens had made their way back to the shore where Luffy had fallen. Usopp clenched his teeth as Nami tended his wound using antibiotic ointment and Luffy's green goo. Once that was done, she wrapped a bandage around Usopp's forearm and tied it tightly.

"Okay, it's done."

"So mind telling me why you lied to them?" Luffy asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared down at the long nosed teen.

"Coz I'm a liar, no one would believe me in the first place. I was too naïve," he cursed, clenching his fists against the rock he sat on.

"Even if you are naïve, the truth is still the truth." Zoro said, keeping one eye on Luffy. He had almost lost her once today, he would be keeping an eye on her from now on. Apparently, his captain could find trouble even on a peaceful island like this.

"Those pirates are really gonna attack, right?" asked Nami worriedly.

"Yeah, there's no doubt that they'll be coming but everyone thinks it's one of my lies. Everyone thinks that tomorrow will be just like any ordinary day." Usopp sighed. He looked down at his feet as his shoulders shook before he lifted his head up.

"But I will stop those pirates at the coast and make sure it was just a lie!" He insisted, his eyes narrowing with determination. "This is my duty as a liar, even though they shot my arm 'sniff' chased me out of the village 'sob' this is still my village, I love this village! 'sob' I want to protect everyone!" Usopp began to cry again and Zoro smirked as he watched the other teen.

"Never thought that you were that kind of a guy, ditching your friends so that you could face the enemy by yourself," he chuckled, resting an arm on his swords.

"Let me get this straight, all of the pirate's treasures will be mine." Nami said cockily, pointing first at Usopp and then at Luffy and Zoro.

"Alright," Luffy nodded at her navigator before turning back to Usopp. "We will lend you a hand." She cracked her knuckles and grinned at the long nosed sniper.

"You guys are…willing to fight beside me? Why?" he asked, bewildered.

"Because they have more pirates and you going to need all the help you can get…and you're shaking like a leaf." Luffy giggled, eying Usopp's shaking legs pointedly. Usopp stood up quickly and declared.

"M-me scared? Don't be ridiculous, it doesn't matter how many there are, its fine by me for I'm Captain Usopp, the brave warrior of the sea!" Even after he said it, his legs wouldn't stop shaking. He cursed himself and slammed a closed fist into one leg.

"Okay okay, maybe I'm a little scared but this is the Black Cat pirates we're talking about! I heard they killed a lot of people." He glared at Luffy, causing Zoro to frown at him slightly as he continued. "But I will fight and I don't need anyone's sympathy, so go away!"

"You think we're joking?" Zoro scoffed, relaxing slightly. "We're helping you coz' we admired your courage."

"If it was sympathy, would we put our lives at risk?" Luffy asked with a grin, tilting her head almost childishly.

Usopp stared at the three of them, a shocked and bewildered expression on his face, and he began to tear up again. He silently thanked the heavens that Luffy and her crew had shown up when they had. He was so lucky to have met such wonderful people.

"Damn it…you guys." It was settled, they would begin their plan to stop the Black Cat Pirates with Usopp's help. They would do whatever they could to stop the pirates from reaching the village even if they were torn limb from limb. They would fight to the death.

* * *

Syrup village was finally starting to calm down after the hectic day that had just passed. Many of the villagers had turned in for the night, letting their weariness take them to dream land, no fear or worry of the future invading their thoughts. All were unaware that a silent specter in a black butler suit currently stalked silently along the empty street. Normally, the villagers would just think that he was taking a stroll like any normal person, but the menacing and terrifying look on his face, an expression that promised pain and death to all that approached him, said otherwise.

Stopping at the edge of the village, Klahadore, or Captain Kuro, turned and took one last look at the small town. The village that had made him a part of it's community, made him one of them, but by dawn tomorrow there would be nothing left of this village or its people. Once he killed the brat and took her fortune, he could finally settle down with peace in his mind.

He smirked at the thought; everything was in place and he was finally ready to take what he had been patiently waiting for. It was true what they said "Patience is a virtue".

* * *

In the meantime, Usopp was currently telling Luffy, Zoro, and Nami of his plan to stop the Black Cat pirates. The only way for them to get into the village was to go past the rocky slope and cliff that they currently sat on and Usopp had a fool proof plan to deal with them.

"Listen, they're planning to attack the village tomorrow morning from this very coast," Usopp said as he and the others walked along the slope.

"However, this is the only route that leads to the village, the rest are cliffs, which makes this village pretty defensible. There's no other way to attack. In other words, if we hold firm on this slope the village won't be attacked." Usopp described his plan.

"I see, that sounds simple enough," said Luffy, walking across the top of a pile of rocks like she was on a balance beam. Zoro walked next to her, one hand resting against her lower back and providing some form of stability for her balancing act.

"Talking is easy, but we'll need true strength for the battle. What're you guys capable of?" Usopp asked, stopping and turning to face the others.

"Slicing."

"Stretching."

"Stealing."

"And I'll be hiding."

"YOU WILL BE FIGHTING!" They all yelled, Luffy jumping down from her perch so she could pinch Usopp's cheek like she had done to Zoro before, and boy, she pinched hard.

"Just joking, I'll back you guys up 'ow' would you please stop pinching my cheek!"

* * *

Inside Kaya's mansion, everything was quiet except the ticking sound of the grandfather clock echoing through the halls. Beyond those halls, in the servants quarters, Klahadore and Merry were having a late night chat, the head butler having returned from his trip.

Merry was on top of a ladder, polishing the chandelier as he told Klahadore of what had happened while he was away for business. He told him that Usopp had gone mad and caused a lot trouble for both Kaya and the villagers. It pained Merry's heart to see the boy his Lady trusted having gone wild and that he would go so far to hurt her. It truly pained him and Kaya.

"It's sad, really, I still can't believe that Usopp would do something so frightful. Even the villagers couldn't believe it." Merry sighed sadly as he polished the final edges of the chandelier.

"How is Lady Kaya?" Klahadore asked in a fake worried tone.

"She was shocked but has since calmed down. She's already asleep," Merry replied. "She appeared to be exhausted." Klahadore untied his tie as he walked to the window, adopting a thinking expression.

"I would've never thought such a thing would happen while I was away. I knew that Usopp was nothing but trouble," said Klahadore.

"I guess you were right about him, but what's funny though is that he claimed you were a pirate. Such a ridiculous idea," Merry chuckled, Klahadore joining in on his laughter as he stared at his reflection in the window. He was actually laughing at Merry's folly though, no one realized that Usopp's words were actually true.

'What fools'

"It surely is." Then Klahadore noticed a wrapped rectangle box lying innocently on the table next to his bed. He picked it up and turned to Merry.

"Is this…?" He asked, trailing off.

"That's a present from Lady Kaya to you. It has been three long years since you've been a part of this house, and it's an anniversary gift." Merry answered.

"Anniversary…"

"It seem your glasses slip quite frequently, so Lady Kaya had this custom-made for you. She is really an attentive and considerate lady," Merry said happily, silently blessing the soul of his kind mistress. Klahadore wasted no time as he unwrapped the present and opened the box to see a pair of nice looking glasses fit just for him. He smirked, chuckling darkly as he pushed his current glasses up, adjusting them.

"Speaking of anniversaries, tomorrow will certainly be a day to remember," he said, more to himself than to Merry, and then he looked up at the moon shining brightly through the window.

"It's a crescent moon tonight, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Merry didn't quite understand where the other butler was going with his train of thought as he carefully climbed down from the ladder.

"A night like this makes my chest throb harder and my blood boil in excitement." Klahadore tipped his hand slightly and let the box and glasses fall to the ground before crushing them with the heel of his foot. Merry couldn't believe his eyes as he stared at his fellow butler in shock.

"Klahadore, what have you done to Lady Kaya's present!"

"I have accepted the present, but it's not just that, it's everything in this mansion!" He said as he turned around to face Merry and the other man gasped as he saw the…the scary look on Klahadore's face. He had never seen such a look on the man's face before and it was concerning him.

"W-what are you talking about?"

"There's no need for me to continue this act." Klahadore adjusted his glasses as he walked slowly up to a very alarmed Merry.

"In a few hours, an unexpected accident will occur." He continued, pulling out his weapon and sliding it on to his right hand. It was a furred glove with five steel blades at the tip of each finger and thumb.

"These three years have been way too long." Merry turned, calling wordlessly out for Kaya, needing to warn her, but before he could move, Klahadore's mighty blades slashed down, slicing into Merry's chest and causing blood to pour from the wounds and drip on the floor. Silently, Merry fell forward, as if in slow motion, and crumpled to the ground with a thud.

Klahadore stared down at his ex-companion with glee, it had been so long since he had had the pleasure to kill someone and soon, Kaya and the villagers would suffer the same fate as him.

* * *

In order to prepare for the coming battle, Nami had insisted that the four of them get up early in the morning in order to set their plan into motion. Which was why she and Usopp were currently trying to force themselves awake, fighting the persistent urge to go back to sleep. Usopp had forced himself into a sitting position, stretching numbly as he tried to force his eyes to stay open. As soon as he remembered his reason for waking up early and the images of angry, violent pirates invaded his thoughts, the long nosed teen was suddenly wide awake.

Nami, used to early wake ups and limited hours of sleep, was already awake and currently trying to get the dying embers of their fire going again. She turned at the sound of Usopp waking up and nodded at him as he made his way over to her.

"Where are Luffy and... Zoro?" Usopp asked, yawning halfway through his sentence. Nami gestured to Usopp's left and the sniper turned, eyes widening at the sight in front of him. Luffy and Zoro lay a few feet away from them, splayed out on the ground together, both out cold. Zoro was stretched out on his back, his legs spread and one arm being used as a makeshift pillow. The other arm was curled around Luffy's waist, clutching the small girl to his side, her face buried in his collarbone and her body resting snugly against his chest. One leg hand been thrown haphazardly over one of Zoro's and her hand rested on his chest, clutching her straw hat.

Usopp had to admit, they looked pretty cute, and very comfortable. The problem was, how would Nami and him wake up the two without getting stabbed by one of Zoro's swords. Nami followed Usopp's stare to the two and sighed, running her fingers through her hair in an effort to brush out the tangles.

"They're all yours, Usopp." She said, waving a hand dismissively. "I have to wake them up all the time. It's your turn."

Usopp grimaced and turned to pout at the orangette but the other teen refused to look at him and he eventually gave up, sighing. He pulled out a pinball from one of his pouches and, aiming carefully, attempted to toss it so that it would hit Luffy lightly on the forehead. He had miscalculated the distance though and the metal ball ended up slamming into one of Zoro's eyelids.

The green haired teen's eyes snapped open and he leveled a glare at Usopp, who scrambled backwards and away from the dark and threatening aura emitting from the swordsman.

"Get your lazy ass up," Nami yelled from the fire, and Usopp breathed a sigh of relief when Zoro's murderous glare turned to the other teen and darkened, no longer focused on himself. Grumbling, Zoro forced himself into a sitting position, maneuvering Luffy so that she was resting comfortably in his lap. He knew the she-pirate would wake up soon from all the movement. He was finally starting to come to terms with the fact that waking up to Luffy in his arms was going to become a daily occurrence, and... he wasn't as bothered by that little fact as he felt like he should be. He frowned, trying to pinpoint where his thoughts had started to go when the girl in question squirmed against his chest, blinking herself lazily awake.

She stared up at Zoro, a small pout on her face, not completely happy with being woken up so early and Zoro grinned down at her. "Morning Lu."

"Morning... 'Ro," she yawned, stretching out her limbs before resting her head back against his chest, letting her eyes slip closed again. Zoro followed suit, completely content to fall back asleep sitting up when Luffy suddenly started in his lap, tackling her first mate to the ground.

"Zoro!" She yelled, grinning down at him happily, the very picture of excitement. "We get to beat up some pirates today! Get up!" She leapt off the swordsman and ran over to Usopp, pestering the other boy and asking if he had any food that she could eat, because obviously she couldn't fight without eating. Zoro just turned his head to watch her, still in a bit of shock at her sudden shout, one hand reaching out to make sure that his swords were still nearby. When his fingers brushed Wado's hilt he relaxed, watching his captain dance around the campfire excitedly, his lips crooking up into a fond smile.

'She really was something else,' he thought as he let himself slip back into sleep, a smile still on his face. They would wake him later when they needed him.

* * *

And there we go. Beginning of the fight starts next chapter with Luffy showing off some of her awesome attacks. I made up a new attack for her next chapter but I think its a plausible attack and I think I explained it pretty good so we shall see.

Thanks for the review on the timeline question dante stigma.5. I think I'm going to have Zoro fully realize and come to terms with his feelings starting at the end of this arc and into the baratie one which will lead to a lot of jealous moments with him and Sanji. I think Luffy will start to question her feelings after Zoro's fight with Mihawk with her realizing and accepting them during the Arlong arc. As for them getting together, we shall have to wait and see. :)

Thanks to everyone for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I shall have the next chapter up by next Wednesday at the latest!


	12. Battle On The Slope

My deepest apologies for the lateness of this chapter. I was at work on Thursday when I suddenly froze and thought, 'Oh man, it's Thursday and I didn't post up the next chapter last night. I haven't even edited it!' So I rushed home and started working.

I will say that I was re-watching Arlong's arc while editing and I saw so many cute ZoLu scenes that I couldn't help but start writing. I'm going to love getting to that arc.

Thank you for all the fantastic reviews! You guys make my day every time I read a review!

Thank you Shirani-Chan, AmaiOni, VampireFreak4Eternity, Vampchick2010, Shizuka Taiyou, and Autumnangin.

Autumnangin: I understand how you feel and if any of the authors I have borrowed from ask me to take down the story I will. My whole intention in this was to combine my favorite parts of every story I had ever read and then add my own twists to it. Soon, I will no longer be borrowing scenes. As most Fem!Luffy stories have been abandoned around the Arlong arc from there on I shall continue on my own.

This is not completely my story. Some conversations and parts have been borrowed from other Fem!Luffy and LuffyxZoro fanfictions. However, most of this has been completely redone and rewritten by me. When we get to the Baratie arc and the fight of Luffy vs Kreig it will no longer have bits of other fanfictions and be completely my writing.

The authors I have borrowed from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you) Please read the original fanfictions as well. They are brilliantly done and I bow to the authors that wrote them!

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

* * *

Battle the Black Cat Pirates! Battle on the Slope

With these hands I will defend you. With these arms I will hold you. With this heart I will love you. When the fear comes, I will shield you. When the pain comes, I will heal you. When the sadness comes, I will protect you.

I can see the sky-high walls you build; they are as clear as day even unbreakable, almost. For I shall not just stand at the base of these walls and watch as you seal yourself behind them.

No, I will not merely knock, try again, give up, and turn, never to see the real you again. I will break down those walls. Smash through them, and embrace your soul.

I shall not judge, mock, or exploit your soul; rather, I will provide comfort, and security - safe haven. A safe haven where you can be your true self without fear of ridicule. A safe haven for you and me….by John McClay.

* * *

Usopp and the others had managed to procure 3 barrels of an oil like substance that Usopp had personally created. The plan was to spill it on the slope, preventing the pirates from making it up the hill easily and giving them a chance to pick them off. They lined the three barrels up equally across the hill, making it so that they would, once spilled, cover every available surface. Zoro easily kicked over one barrel, watching with a bored expression as it slid down the hill, bathing one side of the walkway with oil. Usopp was on the other side, trying in vain to push his own barrel over, while Luffy stood in the middle with the third barrel, just staring at the dark gold liquid. She turned her head to watch as Zoro shoved past Usopp and kicked the second barrel over, leaving just Luffy's. Zoro turned to face her and she just grinned before sticking her hand into the barrel and splashing the oil at the swordsman. Zoro let out a shout of surprise and leaned back, trying futilely to avoid the sticky substance. Luffy just giggled at Zoro's annoyed expression before placing her foot against the side of her own barrel and kicking it down the slope. She clapped her hands together, watching the liquid splash between them, before letting out a sudden squeak of surprise when a wet hand landed on her head. A loud chuckle sounded from behind her and she turned to glare at a grinning Zoro.

"Turnabouts fair play Captain," He said, ruffling her now sticky hair.

Both Usopp and Nami rolled their eyes at the two before Usopp turned away to admire his handy work, a proud smile on his face.

"Good, it's perfect! Now they can't get up this slope; the oil covered all over should do the job. After they slip on the oil, we jump in and wipe them all out." He flashed Luffy a thumbs up while the others whistled, slightly impressed with the long nosed teen's plan. Luffy stuck her foot into the oil, testing the slickness of the slope, grinning brightly.

"I gotta hand to you Usopp; you sure know how to play dirty."

"Well, of course," then he crossed his arms and held his nose up high up, striking one of his hero poses.

"Shooting pinball and playing tricks is my main strength and I'm confident that it will work." Luffy smiled softly, if only Yasopp was here. The sniper would be so proud of Usopp, he was turning into such a great pirate. A gust of wind blew through the valley as the sun started to appear over the horizon.

"It's almost dawn, they'll be coming soon." Zoro muttered, settling himself onto the ground and leaning against one of the cliff walls.

Luffy just giggled, bouncing on the balls of her feet, her wide smile showing her excitement as she stared out at the ocean.

"I hope they hurry."

* * *

The sun rose slowly to welcome another new day…or perhaps to mark an end as this very day would determine the outcome of Syrup village's fate. Would it be saved or doomed forever by the bloodthirsty pirates known and feared throughout the East Blue, the Black Cat Pirates.

As the sun rose and the wind howled and the people continued to sleep, not aware of the danger that approached them, a giant Galleon with a smiling black cat figurehead and Jolly Roger with the shape of cat skull and bones crossed on the back appeared along the shore.

The Black Cats pirates had arrived, each pirates eyes filled with bloodlust, all armed and ready. In the middle of the group of pirates, Jango, who was now Captain Jango, watched the sun rise, arms crossed over his chest. Since his captain had been busy playing his part as a butler, he had placed Jango in charge of the Black Cat crew til the plan was ready to be set into motion. Now that the time was here, they could finally take what they had been patiently waiting 3 long years for.

The great Galleon reached land and anchored, the crew gathering on deck, ready for their fun to begin. Jango began to shout his commands to his crew.

"My comrades, listen! This is the moment we've been waiting for, let's make our Captain Kuro proud!"

"Aye aye Captain Jango!" They called simultaneously, and then one of the pirates near the railing of the ship started to shout.

"Captain, there are two undefined ships over there."

"What?" they all gathered around and looked at the two small boats.

"Should we investigate, Captain?"

"Leave it alone. By the looks of them, they don't look like they have any treasure and we have a plan to focus on."

"Understood."

"Now then, arm yourselves and prepare to attack!" said Jango.

"AYE AYE~"

* * *

"When will they come already~" Luffy whined, leaning her head against Zoro's shoulder, pouting. It had been a long time since sunrise and there was still no sign of the pirates coming.

"And it's such nice day too," she exclaimed sweeping her arms out to gesture at the calm beach. "What do you think happened?"

"Maybe they overslept," Zoro replied, shrugging the shoulder not being used as Luffy's personal headrest.

"No way! They'll defiantly come, they're just a little late." Usopp nodded to himself, confident that Kuro's pirates would come. As they waited, Nami heard something from the distance and she put her hands behind her ears, trying to focus her hearing in an attempt to identify what it was.

"Listen, I'm not sure if I'm hearing things, but I can hear some shouting somewhere," said Nami. They all turned, trying to listen for the sounds where Nami indicated and true to what she said, they could hear the sounds of someone, or more likely, a large group shouting.

"Yes, that is defiantly shouting." Nami confirmed it and then realization dawned on Usopp's face followed quickly by panic.

"OH NO~"

"What's wrong?" Zoro asked.

"There's another slope just like this one to the north.."

"What?! We're at the wrong slope?" they all yelled at once.

"They had the meeting at this beach, I assumed that they'd come from this side." Usopp spoke, and the other three groaned. Luffy quickly recovered, rising to her feet and punching her fist into her other hand.

"Then we've got to hurry before they attack the village. What is the fastest way to get to the other coast?" She tilted her head as she stared at Usopp, hearing Zoro rise to his own feet behind her.

"Head straight north from here and it should take you about three minutes; the landscape will be the same as this one. We just need to stop them from climbing up the slope, but…"

"Don't worry, we'll make it somehow," she assured him, grinning, and then out of the blue, Nami started screaming.

"Now that you mention it, the north slope is where our ships are anchored; all of my treasure will be taken!"

"I'll be there in less than twenty seconds" Luffy yelled, taking off, sprinting down the path to the village, waving back at the others as she went.

"Damn! I came up such a great plan for nothing." And then Usopp ran off as well, following Luffy's quickly disappearing form.

"My treasure!" Nami whined, horrified that her treasure might be taken from her.

"Hey," Zoro snapped, bring the orangette out of her thoughts.

"What're you doing just standing there? We need to go after them." Then Zoro turned and started to walk away.

"Oh, right." Nami took a step, not noticing that she had stepped straight into a patch of oil. Her foot slipped and her arms began to windmill, quickly losing her balance. Before she could fall back, she her arm quickly shot out, almost out of instinct, grabbing the nearest object which happened to be one of Zoro's sword sheathes. The sudden weight threw Zoro off balance and he fell back, slamming into the ground, his shirt now completely covered in oil.

"Help me! I'm slipping." Nami shrieked, gripping the sheathe tightly and trying to pull herself up. Zoro was slowly being forced down the slope by Nami's weight, also trying to climb back up but unable to because of Nami's movements, the girl's struggling only causing him to slip down even further.

"You idiot, let go of me!" Zoro hissed, trying to climb again but he only continued to slip. Nami was still holding on Zoro's swords, looking around desperately for an idea before freezing, a small smirk coming to her face.

"In that case…I'll go on ahead." Before Zoro could ask how she planned to get out, Nami forced herself to her knees, letting go of Zoro's sword and pushing herself up before climbing on Zoro's back and jumping off him onto the clean slope. Her momentum pushed Zoro further down, though, and he continued to slide until he reached the bottom.

"Sorry about that, but my treasure is in danger. I hope you'll find your way back." She gave Zoro a semi apologetic wave and then she was off, leaving Zoro behind.

"That witch!" he ground his teeth together angrily. Once he manged to get up this stupid slippery slope, Nami would pay.

Usopp was running along the cliff side, looking almost like his life depended on how fast he could get to the slope. His lungs were burning and his legs felt numb but he wouldn't stop, no matter how many times his body begged him to. He refused to. Kaya and his beloved village was depending on him, it was his duty as liar to make sure that Kaya and the villagers had another peaceful, normal day with no pirates whatsoever.

"I hope I can reach the beach in time…but man," He let out an impressed whistle. "I can't even see Luffy anymore. That girl can sure run fast, she vanished in instant."

"Just head north, Just head north, Just head north." Luffy keep repeating, muttering the sentence under her breath as she ran, heading in the direction that felt the coldest. After all, north was cold, wasn't it?

As for Nami, her spirit was powered by a fiery determination and an anger at the invading pirates. If they even touched her treasure... she wouldn't let pirates take something she treasured away ever again.

"Whoever lays a finger on my treasure is unforgivable!"

* * *

On the north slope, the Black Cat pirates let out a roar as they charged up the slope, their swords held high and faces filled with glee at the thought of the coming raid. Just as they reached the top of the hill, making it out of the cliffs, a thousand pinballs suddenly came out of nowhere. The pirates were startled as one by one, they began to fall, knocked out by the small metal balls and left on the ground, groaning in pain.

"What the? There's someone up there!" one of them yelled. Jango growled, annoyed that someone was stupid enough to go up against the Black Cat pirates. He looked up to see who the fool was that dared to attack his crew and then snorted in derision when he recognized the long nosed boy from yesterday.

"It's you, what the hell are you doing here, boy?" Jango asked irritated. Usopp was standing at the end of the slope, panting hard after the long run, thanking the lord that he had made it on time. Otherwise, the pirates would've reached the village by now. He took a few gulp of air and stood straight, puffing out his chest as he spoke.

"I'm Captain Usopp, the brave warrior of the sea, and you've trespassed on my territory. I'm the one whose name is known throughout the East Blue, so I suggest you all leave before things turn ugly!" Usopp's lie was an attempt to frighten the pirates into leaving his village, but because of the way his legs were shaking like a leaf, none of the pirates believed him. In fact, his words only seemed to make them angrier.

Usopp gulped, sweating as he glanced at the pirate crew before him. This was not how it was supposed to happen. Wasn't Luffy supposed to be here before him? He had seen her take off, running like the speed of light, so why wasn't she here? Unfortunately for him, it seemed Luffy's sense of direction was almost as bad as Zoro's.

'I don't get it, she was supposed to be here first, not me… If she didn't get here first, then where did she go off to?'

"HOW THE HELL DID I END UP HERE?~" Luffy screamed in confusion, standing on the outskirts of Syrup Village, staring at a large rock wall in the middle of the forest, far away from the slope.

"He said head north, so I ran where it's cooler. Where do I go now?!"

Zoro was currently still struggling to get up the slope, his entire body drenched in the golden-black oil. His latest attempt involved running as fast as he could but it wasn't working. It left him almost running in place, struggling futilely but not moving an inch.

"Damn it! I can't get past this!"

* * *

Usopp was now shaking, gulping, and sweating all at once. He was bloody scared and seeing those angry sneers wasn't helping him too much.

'I'm going to die.'

"I know you. You're that boy from yesterday, the one who eavesdropped on our plan. What _exactly_ are you doing here?" Jango asked in an almost mocking tone.

"I told you before, I'm Captain Usopp and you've trespassed on my territory. If you don't leave my land, my one hundred million men will dispose of all of you!" He used one of his usual lies in an attempt to scare the renegade pirates, but they just looked at him skeptically.

"One hundred million men, is he joking with us?"

"Who does he think we are? Even kids wouldn't fall for such a stupid lie."

"AMAZING! One hundred million men, that's so many~" Jango yelled, staring at Usopp wide-eyed, being one of the few people stupid enough to believe him. The pirates around him all sighed, shaking their heads at their captain's idiocy.

"He's lying, Captain."

"How can you fall for such a stupid trick?"

"Crap, they saw right through it," Usopp cursed under his breath.

"See, he even admitted it." one of them said.

"You, how dare you try to deceive me!" Jango hissed, then one of his crew started shouting, running towards Jango from where he had been examining the two abandoned boats.

"Captain, we found something!"

"What is it?"

"We found lots of treasure on one of those ships," he pointed to the two ships they had noticed earlier and another crew mate who had followed after him held up a bag filled with sparkling treasure.

"It's gotta be worth forty…no, fifty million Berri!" All of the pirates around Jango gasped at the amount of money coming from such a small dingy. Even Usopp was surprised, who would've thought Luffy, Zoro, and Nami would have so much money, and then he thought of an idea.

"Those treasures are mine!" He yelled and every pirate turned their heads back towards the boy.

"I'll give you all my treasure..." The pirates raised their eyebrows in surprise, but Usopp wasn't done yet.

"But in exchange…you must leave this island and never return here again!" Then he put on his brave man pose trying to show that he was serious. The pirates were baffled.

"Now he's bribing us with money?"

"Is this guy for real?" One of them spoke. Jango tipped his hat and said.

"Are you stupid? We are pirates, of course we'll accept these treasures…however, there's no reason for us to leave," he smirked, watching as Usopp sighed, seeing another one of his plans fail. Jango had had enough of this and he pulled out his ring, rocking it side to side.

"After I say 'One, two, Jango' you will move out of the way," he said. Usopp gasped as he made out the familiar weapon. _'That's the one he used on Luffy when he caused her to fall asleep!'_

"One, two, Jan…"

Suddenly a wooden pole slammed into Usopp's head, saving him from Jango's hypnotism and sending him forward and down the slope, sprawled out on the ground. He quickly forced himself to his knees and turned back to glare at the person who had hit him, eyes taking in the sight of a furious Nami, glaring down at him. Her Bo staff was held lightly in one hand and the other was on her hip.

"What's the big idea?! What gives you the right to give them _my_ treasure?!" She hollered, the sound like the cry of an ill-tempered Sea King. Usopp just grabbed his head where he had been hit.

"IT HURTS~!" he whined, moaning in pain.

"What the! Who is that woman?" one of the pirates asked in surprise.

"Captain! You hypnotized yourself again, you need to stop doing that!" One of them yelled when he saw his Captain moving himself to the side and gesturing at an invisible person to pass him. After a minute, Jango snapped out of it and Nami glared at the pirates that had dared to touch her treasure. Nobody took her treasure and lived to tell the tale.

"The treasures on that ship are _all_ mine! I won't let you have a single Berri, and you'd better put everything back where it was!" She threatened them, growling. Then Usopp chose that time to yell at her.

"THAT REALLY HURT!"

"And you! What gives you the right to hand my treasure to them?!"

"I was trying to get them to leave the village! You should lock your stuff up better." He bellowed back, and then Nami sighed, turning back to the enemy pirates, putting her staff on her shoulder lazily and saying calmly.

"Stop acting like a crybaby, after all I saved your life…and one more thing; you should not look at the ring, that guy's a hypnotist."

"Hy-hypnotist."

"By the way, where's Luffy? Wasn't she the first one here?"

"Beat me." Usopp shrugged. "Either she's still on her way or she got lost somewhere." he replied as he got up, dusting off his overalls.

"She's probably lost then, geez, and at such a critical time too," Nami snorted as Usopp walked backward till he was at Nami's side.

"It doesn't matter now. We need to stop those pirates so here's the plan…you go attack, while I cover you."

"EHHH?! Why does have to be me? How can I fight such a large group? I'm just one girl." Nami could not believe that Usopp had beaten her at her own strategy. Usopp just crossed his arms and shook his head, as if he was amazed she could even think that.

"Nami Nami. If you're expecting me to fight those guys then…you're wrong." Usopp said the answer as if it was obvious. "I'm so scared that my legs are rattling, see?" and to prove his point he pointed down to show that his legs were indeed shaking and making a rattling noises.

"So what?! I'm so scared that I'm already in tears!"

"What are you talking about? Your eyes are completely dry. If you're gonna lie, at least make it one that's believable!"

"You have no right to say that!"

As they continued to argue about who was the most afraid, the pirates just watched them incredulously, not believing that they could be fighting over something so stupid. Jango watched the spectacle for a moment before finally saying.

"We have no time to fool around with them…kill them, NOW!" He commanded and the pirates complied with a roar of excitement, charging the slope once again. Both Nami and Usopp froze and stared down at the approaching pirates worriedly.

"What are we going to do?" Nami tensed at the look on their faces and Usopp was getting edgy as well until he finally thought of a plan.

"Wait! I got it, I have some caltrop!" He quickly rummaged through his bag and brought out a bunch of small, spiky caltrop.

"You've got some good stuff in there," Nami complimented, smiling as she let out a relieved breath. Usopp smirked and gave some to Nami and then they both turned towards the pirates, throwing their caltrop at the charging men.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the south slope, Zoro was lying sprawled on the ground, panting, after another failed attempt to get up the slope. He wiped some of the oil off of his face and groaned, turning his head to glare at the oil covered path.

"Damn it, Nami! That witch 'pant' unforgivable. If Luffy gets hurt because I was stuck here, she'll pay." He lay there for another minute, trying to catch his breath until he thought of an idea. After another second his eyes widened and he scrambled to his feet, pulling out two of his swords before beginning to climb the slope again. This time though, when he started to slip, he used his swords to pierce to the ground, using them as leverage to pull himself up. He kept going till he was finally out of the oily part of the slope and ready to kick some pirate's ass. With a sigh he flicked his swords, getting the bits of oil off of them before sheathing them.

"Now…where is that north coast?" He really needed to let off some steam.

* * *

"Now, where's the hell am I now?!" Luffy shouted, staring at the outskirts of Syrup Village, her hands on her hips and a pout on her face. She was completely lost now and it was starting to frustrate her. She wanted to go beat some pirates up.

"WHICH WAY'S NORTH?!"

* * *

Back at the north slope, the Black Cat pirates let out screams of agony as their feet touched the caltrop Usopp and Nami had thrown, not seeing them in their excitement to get up the slope. The metal spikes pierced through their shoes and into their feet, causing them to fall backwards onto the ground, more caltrop getting stuck in their back and arms. Nami and Usopp watched the pirates before turning their heads to grin at each other, proud of their accomplishment.

"Yes, it's working!" Nami cheered, pumping one fist in the air.

"Yeah, and now," Usopp pulled out his slingshot and quickly took aim.

"Shooting Star!" He fired his pinball, hitting one of the pirates directly in the center of his forehead showing off his amazing precision. The pirates were baffled at the random and almost childish attacks and appeared even angrier than before. Nami just patted Usopp on the back and said.

"Not bad…I think you'll be able to handle this so I'll leave them to you."

"HEY, you can't leave me with them?!" Before he could turn and say more, Nami screamed.

"What's wrong?" He followed her gaze, wanting to know what was causing her to scream like that and what he saw made his jaw drop. Caltrop had been dropped behind them, blocking both of them from escaping.

"I think I accidentally dropped the caltrop back here."

"ARE YOU A MORON?! Why did you throw them there?" While Usopp was yelling, he didn't notice a pirate come up from behind him, having avoided the caltrop, and raise his giant hammer.

"You're both a hindrance!" The pirate yelled as his hammer made contact with Usopp's head. Usopp could almost hear the sound of his skull cracking from the force of the blow and blood began to seep from wound and from his mouth. He crumpled to the ground with a thump and the pirate smirked down at him darkly. Nami stared at Usopp and the pirate standing above him, her eyes widening in horror.

"Did you really think you could stop us? C'mon, Captain Kuro is waiting!" The pirate yelled, moving to take a step forward when he felt something grab his ankle. He looked down to see that the long nosed boy was still awake and had grabbed one of his ankles. Usopp stared up at the pirate, his vision blurring around the edges but still willing to fight.

"What's up with this guy? Let go of me, you bastard!" The pirate tried to shake his foot to make Usopp let go and even stepped on his head a few times in an effort to get him to let go. But he stopped when he heard the teen start to speak, the sound barely louder than a mumble.

"This slope…I can't let you go through it." Usopp panted as he struggled get back on his feet, a trail of blood dripping down his forehead to his cheek.

"Because I'd like to keep lying as I've always done in the past…this village…will enjoy another peaceful day like any other day. That's why I can't let you pass."

"SHUT UP, YOU FOOL!" Another pirate with a sword came from behind his crew mate, having gotten tired of the teen's childish ranting. As he swung, about to kill the boy, Nami sprung into action, using her quick reflexes to hit the pirate on the side of his face using her staff, knocking him away. Another pirate saw her move and attacked Nami with his sword but she turned again and blocked him. The pirate was far too strong for her, being physically larger and with his momentum and anger fueling him, and he was easily able to knock her to the ground, causing Nami to let out a grunt of pain.

"Nami!" Usopp's eyes widened as he saw her fall but before he could even move to help her, the pirate with the hammer hit him again on the head and he landed face-first back in the dirt. The pirates laughed darkly, as if the whole thing was just a practical joke to them. The laughter halted when Captain Jango called out.

"This is no time to be fooling around with the children! Captain Kuro is waiting and if anything goes wrong with the plan…we'll all be killed, you imbeciles." The pirates shuddered as they remembered how bad Captain Kuro's temper could be. If his plan happened to fail because of them, their captain wouldn't hesitate to kill his own crew. Turning away from Usopp and Nami, the pirates quickly resumed their trek up the slope to the village, determined to finish Kuro's plan and get the girl's money.

"Stop…damn it…please, leave this village alone…leave my crew mates alone…leave Kaya alone. They don't deserve this…" Then, by some miracle, the pirates who had run ahead were now flying back, away from the top of the slope and down to where Captain Jango stood. Usopp just gawked at the sight of it.

Even Jango and Nami were shocked, their faces displaying matching expressions of 'What the fuck just happened?' The pirates who were knocked back groaned as they sat up, unsure themselves of how they had been stopped. Everyone's gaze was on the top of the slope where an out of breath Monkey D. Luffyko and her first mate Roronoa Zoro stood, glaring down at the pirates.

"It's about damn time," Nami mumbled, relieved that the two idiots had finally made it.

"What's all the ruckus?" Zoro asked, bandana already tied around his head and one sword resting lightly on his shoulder, looking for all the world like he had just woken up and wasn't facing down a group of pirates.

"How should I know?" Luffy replied, snorting. "But I'm still pissed off." Zoro glanced at Luffy and ruffled the part of her head visible under her hat, earning a small grin from her, before remembering why Luffy, and by extension, himself were annoyed.

"NAMI, HOW DARE YOU TRAMPLE ME DOWN THE SLOPE!"

"USOPP, YOU IDIOT! YOU DIDN'T TELL ME WHICH WAY WAS NORTH!" Both glared at Usopp and Nami respectively while Captain Jango just watched the four skeptically.

"Who in the world are they?"

* * *

Meanwhile, just outside of the front door to Kaya's mansion, Captain Kuro was sitting on the porch stairs, patiently waiting for his crew to show up. It had been over an hour since sunrise and not a single one of them had made their appearance yet.

"They're late, those bastards," he growled. "They should know by now what will happen if my plans are disturbed." Her rose gracefully from his sitting position, a wrathful looking glare on his face directed at his incompetent men.

"If they cause my plan to fail…I will kill them all." Once he decided he had waited long enough, he grabbed the bag that held his weapons and started to walk towards the north slope.

Unknown to Captain Kuro, he was being watched by one of Usopp's fateful crew, Onion, who was currently hiding behind a tree. The boy watched the scary butler walk away to wherever he was going and the look on the man's face suggested that something dreadful and bad was going to happen whenever he got to his destination. It was giving him the cold shivers.

"What's going on? I've never seen him look like this, this is really bad." Onion had no idea just how bad it was as he turned to go tell Pepper and carrot what he had seen, and it would soon be turning into something much worse.

* * *

Jango was stunned to see that one puny girl and a teenage boy had managed to send his entire fleet of pirates right back to the shore with what appeared to be very little effort. He had never seen anyone that strong, it was just…inhuman. Usopp's body was shaking, partly from the pain in hid head and partly from relief. Luffy and Zoro had made it just in time and had managed to push back every pirate.

"You guys are that strong?" Usopp asked and Luffy nodded as a reply, still trying to catch her breath from all the running she had done.

"You guys are way too slow!" Nami hissed, irritated with the both of them and Zoro growled back.

"It's all thanks to you. You pushed me down that oil slick and then left me."

"That was an accident! I had no choice, rather than both of us fall, it was better if one of us made it through," she argued, her tone calm, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Zoro's glare deepened and he ground his teeth together before snapping at Nami's smug smile.

"THEN WHY NOT YOU?!"

"Just head north you told me. Just head north, and guess what?! I headed north and ended up running in circles! You never told me which way was north!" Luffy yelled at Usopp, pointing a finger accusingly at the long nosed boy.

"Hey, don't blame me! You're the one who ran off full of confidence!" Usopp shouted back, forcing himself off of his stomach and into a sitting position.

"That happened unconsciously…I was just excited." she said calmly, and Usopp gave her a disbelieving look, arms crossed over his chest. While they continued to argue with one another, Jango glanced up at the clear blue sky, knowing that they were already very late.

"We been here too long. Captain Kuro doesn't like waiting." He shuddered as he thought of how angry his captain was going to get if they didn't do things according to his plans. But before they could get to the village, they needed to get rid of these rodents.

"Men! Are you going to let these children make a mockery of us?" said Jango, and one by one his crew slowly got back on their feet, ready for another round, their pride injured at the fact that four teenagers, two of them girls, had managed to knock them down.

"Listen, we don't have the time to fool around here. If we don't complete the plan then Captain is going to take it out on all of us," he continued, pulling out his hypnotic ring from a pocket in his coat.

"They're strong, so we'll just have to be stronger, now stare into this ring." The pirates all turned to face Jango as he began to rock the ring back and forth, starting his hypnosis.

"With 'one, two, Jango' you'll become strong, your injuries will heal and you'll become very very very very strong!" Jango's words were already having an effect on the pirates, even without the hypnosis. Some of them had started to smirk again and the rest were rolling their shoulders and raising their weapons, getting ready for another go. The straw hat pirates just watched the scene unfold in front of them, three of them wearing expressions of disbelief, looking at the Black Cat pirates like they were stupid.

"Hypnosis?"Nami scoffed. "Making them believe that they're strong... that's just stupid!" Usopp and Zoro both nodded, silently agreeing with her.

"No, it's not," Luffy interrupted, a serious note in her voice that caused all three of them to stare at her in surprise. She glanced away from Jango to look at her crew and continued.

"He used that once on me to put me to sleep. That's why you guys found me on the shore. His hypno thingy is really powerful."

"Putting you to sleep isn't a big thing, but it's got to be impossible to hypnotize someone and actually make them stronger," Nami said, shaking her head. Luffy remained silent and continued to watch as Jango prepared to unleash the hypnosis.

"You'll become stronger... much stronger! One... two... JANGO!" Jango pulled his hat over his eyes right as he finished his chant and all around him, he could hear the pirates begin to roar. He grinned smugly as one broke away from the group and slammed his closed fist into the cliff wall, shattering an entire section and sending it crumbling down.

"Th-the cliff's totally destroyed! What power," Zoro said, shocked and a little impressed as the pirates began to cheer at their crew-mate's display of power

"They're really hypnotized... I don't believe it." Nami couldn't believe that the hypnosis Jango had been using had actually given his men an extra power boost.

"That's just one of them, and there's so many of them!" Usopp was sweating again, his eyes almost bugging out of his head.

"See, I told you, his hypno thingy works!" Luffy exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest and nodding to herself.

"THIS IS NO TIME TO ARGUE ABOUT WHO WAS RIGHT! WE HAVE BIGGER PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF!" Nami screeched, turning to Luffy and smacking the girl upside the head.

"Go! break the necks of anyone that tries to stop us!" Jango ordered, striking an odd pose, and his men cheered, happy to comply, before charging the slope again. Their eyes were wild, the iris so small and dilated that they looked like their eyes had rolled back into their heads. Saliva dripped from the mouths of some as they got closer and closer to the Straw Hat pirates.

"Shit, here they come." Zoro hissed, taking a few steps forward. "Usopp, Nami, get out of the way, we'll take it from here." He drew out his second sword and adopted a fighting stance, a maniacal grin coming to his face. Both Nami and Usopp did what they were told and quickly scrambled off the path and onto the grass, Nami helping the injured Usopp to move, ,both willing to let Zoro and Luffy take care of things.

"So Lu, any ideas?" He asked, grinning down at his captain.

"Well, just one right now but you'll need to step back a little," She replied, fixing him with a grin of her own. Zoro just nodded and took a few steps back, sliding one of his swords back into his sheath. He wasn't going to put both away just in case he needed to step forward and assist his captain. Once Zoro was a little bit away from her, Luffy raised her hands above her head, interlacing her fingers and cracking her knuckles before shaking her hands to loosen them up. Grinning brightly, she stretched her arms behind her surprising both Usopp and Black Cat pirates.

Zoro smirked, liking where he thought Luffy was going with this. Luffy took her time stretching her arms before charging the approaching pirates who had decided to hold their ground against her.

"Gum-Gum Bazooka!" She shouted, launching her arms forward and catching the first wave of pirates and knocking them back into their crew mates. Luffy's arms snapped back into place, a satisfied smirk on her face while Usopp and Nami cheered her on from behind. But their victory was short lived. When the dust kicked up from the pirate's fall cleared, it revealed that every pirate was still standing, glaring up at the raven-haired girl darkly. Luffy and the others just gaped in shock.

"What the~! No way, there's no way they can still stand after that hit," said Usopp, eyes widening as they swept over the pirates.

"How could they survive the same attack that sent Captain Buggy flying? No normal human would stand a chance!" Nami exclaimed, scooting away from the cliff face a bit.

"Maybe…they are stronger than we anticipated." Zoro gritted his teeth in frustration, it looked like this battle might be harder than they thought. The pirates started to snicker, which caused his anger to double, taking slow steps forward as they made their way up the slope to where Luffy stood.

"Then…I just have to use a different move," Luffy said, grinning back at them before turning back to the pirates and taking a calming breath. She stepped back into her normal fighting stance and prepared to throw a punch.

"Gum-Gum Gatling Gun!" She threw her first punch, catching the lead pirate in the jaw and then her fist was gone. Another pirate down the line collapsed, a fist in his gut, and suddenly she was everywhere. Thousands of punches began to appear from nowhere, moving faster than the eye could see and hitting the Black Cat pirates head on. The pirates just stood there again, each shielding themselves as best as they could from her punches, but the force of the attack was pushing them back ever so slightly.

Nami and Usopp were amazed that Luffy managed to keep the attack going for more than a minute and while Zoro's face was blank, you could clearly tell that he was impressed from the way that he watched Luffy. Jango, however, didn't appear to be worried at all. In fact, there was a ghastly smirk beginning to form on his face.

Luffy's Gatling finally ended and she let out an exhausted sigh, having never kept up that attack for so long. He arms were starting to burn. She looked down at the pirates, who seemed to be shaking. At first she and the others thought that they were in pain from the assault…but then the pirates suddenly roared like they had never roared before, throwing their arms in the air and readying their weapons. Luffy and her crew just watched them, shocked that her attack hadn't seemed to have had any effect. In fact, it only seemed to have made them madder.

"Kuh, n-no way! They're still standing...," said Usopp.

"And there's not a single scratch on them." Nami continued, covering her mouth with her hands, shocked and now very afraid. If Luffy couldn't beat them, then none of them stood a chance. Zoro cursed under his breath, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. Not only were these pirates stronger than before, they were unbeatable. Luffy's fists were trembling at her sides, she was starting to get tired of this stupid hypnosis thing. As much as she liked knocking the pirates back time and again, she wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer and she refused to let them get past her and to her crew. Suddenly Jango began to laugh, the sound almost mocking.

"Do you honestly think that your puny attacks would work on them? You're dealing with real pirates, girly. We are the Black Cat pirates, we are known as the most fearsome pirates to ever sail on the high seas of the East Blue. Other pirates and even marines wouldn't dare to come near us knowing the punishment that awaited them if they tried to stop us. As you can see, my crew is unstoppable and the only thing that your attacks have done is make them madder. Step aside before we decide to get serious. We will destroy all four of you!" Then Jango began to laugh harder and his crew quickly joined in.

Luffy's whole body had started to shake but her face was hidden by the brim of her hat. It was clear from her posture though, that she was angry. More than angry, she was furious. No one threatened her crew and walked away from it. Laugh at her, fine. But touch her friends and she wouldn't hesitate to fight back. Zoro was the only one who appeared to be angrier than Luffy, his eyes were slits and his knuckles were white against the hilt of his sword. He growled menacingly at the pirates who had had the nerve to laugh at her.

'Those fucking bastards. How dare they laugh at my Luffy… Hypnosis be damned, These morons need to pay and I will be the one to make them.' Zoro took a step forward eyes focused completely on the pirates, already moving to pull out his other two swords but froze when a small hand landed on his forearm. His expression cleared slightly and he turned his head to stare down at Luffy.

"Lu…?"

"Zoro, let me handle this. I can take them," she said softly, her eyes still shadowed by her hat.

"But Luffy! Your devil fruit powers didn't work on them, no matter how many times you hit them, they just keep getting back up, let's face it, we're doomed~" Usopp wailed. Luffy's hand tightened against Zoro's arm as Usopp spoke, the frown on her face deepening.

"I hate to admit it but he's right. We stood no chance against them, they're too powerful," Nami sighed. Zoro growled, turning to glare at Usopp and Nami. They needed to keep their mouths shut. They were making Luffy unhappy and he hated seeing that frown on her face, the same look she had worn when he was injured. Before he could say anything to them though, Luffy's hand slid down his forearm, small hand slipping into his own calloused one before squeezing it softly. Zoro fought down a blush at the sudden contact, squeezing her hand back and causing the raven-haired girl to look up at him with a serious look, her mouth set into a firm line.

"Zoro... I KNOW I can do this… This is my fight so please... please, trust me." Zoro continued to stare down at the she-pirate, her soft spoken words circling through his head. They sounded so familiar to him but he couldn't... Zoro blinked and his eyes widened in sudden realization. He had said almost those exact same words to Luffy back in Orange Town when he had fought Cabaji. He had asked his captain to put her faith in him, to trust him, step back and let him defend his title as a swordsman. Her eyes now were the same as his were back then, and just she had done for him, he nodded, squeezing her hand one last time, before taking a few steps back. Luffy gave him a bright smile that silently said 'thank you' before turning back to the waiting group of pirates. Jango snickered some more at the sight of that little girl stepping forward, still thinking that she could beat his men.

"You're not a quitter, girly, I'll give you that but play time is over. We've wasted too much time already. MEN! FINISH HER OFF NOW AND LEAVE THE OTHERS TO ME!" His men complied with another cry, charging the slope for the fourth time.

Usopp and Nami sat off to the side of the cliff, hugging each other in fear while Zoro just stood in front of them, his expression calm. He knew his captain could beat them, he had seen how strong she was in their fight against Morgan, and had heard stories about her fight against Buggy. She could beat them but... if those pirates left even a scratch on her... his jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed. There wouldn't be enough left to fit in a shoebox.

Luffy gazed at the stampeding pirates for a moment, her expression blank, before grinning. She had the perfect idea for an attack. It was one she had never used before, hell she had just thought of it a few days ago when they were still sailing and Nami pointed out a cyclone in the distance. It would probably take the last of her energy though. She really wished she had thought to get some meat before all this. She was hungry. The pirates were getting closer and closer making Usopp and Nami even more nervous and they started yelling at her to hurry it up before she got trampled Zoro was the only one who looked even remotely calm but if you looked at the hand gripping the hilt of his Wado Ichimonji you could see the white knuckles and tight grip.

As the enemy drew closer, Luffy's concentration deepened and she held her hands out in front of her, silently hoping this worked, and crossed one arm over the other, making a horizontal X. Her arms began to stretch and twist more, wrapping together like a licorice vine. Jango saw it as another one of her useless 'gum-gum' attacks and he chuckled lightly.

"Just give up little girl, your power won't work on them!" But Luffy ignored him as she shot her arms forward as fast as she could, reaching the pirates and grabbing onto the shirts of the two closest, one in each hand.

"Gum-Gum Colossus Twister!" She shouted, lifting the pirates off of the ground and letting the momentum from her twisted arms begin to spin them. The two men spun faster and faster, kicking up dirt and rocks and forming what almost looked like a...

"A TORNADO!" The other pirates yelled as their eyes popped out in disbelief. Zoro just smirked knowingly. Luffy had been fascinated by the cyclone they saw on the ocean, it made sense she would incorporate it into an attack. The large whirlwind took on a life of its own as Luffy's arms continued to spin and the pirates stopped in their tracks when they saw the freakishly scary tornado and actually began to fidget. Luffy took their distraction as an opportunity to strike again. With a huff, she unleashed the second part of her attack on them.

"Twister Gatling Rifle!" Then to the Black Cats utter horror, her previous attack resumed, this time fueled by the still spinning cyclone. It forced Luffy's hands to spin as she attacked, creating thousands of mini cyclone punches with the force of rifle bullets. It was too late for them to back out now though, because either the rocks in the cyclone or one of Luffy's punches had caught every last one of the pirates.

As the cyclone slowly dispersed and Luffy's attacks eased, Jango stared at the remains of his crew in shock. Not a single person was left standing and most were either unconscious or on the ground moaning in pain. Those who weren't were staring at the small, unassuming girl in utter shock, having no thoughts about getting back up and going another round against her.

Zoro's eyes widened in slight surprise and even a little bit of pride, he had expected something good from his captain but that... that was one hell of an attack she had created. Nami and Usopp's expressions were priceless, mouths open in shock because she had taken down those pirates like they were nothing, like she hadn't already gone two rounds against them and failed.

Jango's mouth was open in shock, unable to comprehend the scene in front of him. "Captain Kuro made a big miscalculation; these kids are not your ordinary brats," he muttered as he eyed the panting girl.

* * *

So Zoro's fight starts next chapter. I'm excited! I was actually going to end this chapter right after Luffy and Zoro arrived at the hill but because I'm posting this late I thought that might be mean. So I added in Luffy's ass kicking as an apology.

One cute thing: even though Luffy's full name is Luffyko, most people call her Luffy. Zoro is the only one who calls her Lu and that will play a big role later. The only other person who calls her that is her brother Ace and he will pick up on the fact that Zoro calls her that. I'm looking forward to their confrontation.

Til next chapter!


	13. The Terrifying Duo

Here you are guys! I spent all day rewriting and editing this chapter because your awesome reviews got me so hyped. I hope you enjoy!

Thank you for all the fantastic reviews! You guys make my day every time I read a review and make me work that much harder to make the chapter absolutely perfect.

Thank you Shirani-Chan, VampireFreak4Eternity, Vampchick2010, ZoLuFanGirl98, Shizuka Taiyou, and Autumnangin.

I cannot take full credit for the idea of Zoro's fight vs the Nyaban brothers. The idea is totally Pen-Woman's and I absolutely adore her for coming up with such an amazing idea. I have just expanded on it and added to it and I apologize if I made Buchi a little too dark or creepy. I couldn't resist.

This is not completely my story. Some conversations and parts have been borrowed from other Fem!Luffy and LuffyxZoro fanfictions. However, most of this has been completely redone and rewritten by me. When we get to the Baratie arc and the fight of Luffy vs Kreig it will no longer have bits or ideas from other fanfictions and will be completely my writing.

The authors I have borrowed ideas from are: Pen-Woman, ChemGirl, and Killjou. (If someone thinks I have added some of their story, I apologize for not listing you. PM me and I will add you) Please read the original fanfictions as well. They are brilliantly done and I bow to the authors that wrote them!

Beta reader for Pen-Woman is TheBlackSeaReaper.

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda

* * *

The Terrifying Duo! Nyaban Brothers vs. Zoro

* * *

The Usopp pirates were gathered in their usual meeting place, one that Captain Usopp had picked out all those years ago. The spot was near one of the cliffs on the east side of the island, overlooking the ocean and the sun rising in the distance. It was a secluded spot, one tree providing a bit of shade, a few logs for sitting and a pirate flag with Usopp's personal symbol waving tall and proud behind them. Even though the sun had barely risen above the horizon, the three boys were all awake and dressed for the day. Usopp, as captain, was the one who usually gathered them together for meetings but this morning Onion was the one to cal the meeting. After seeing the scary look on Klahadore's face as the butler left the mansion, he wanted to report to Pepper and Carrot what he had seen, starting to get suspicious of the jerk butler's actions.

"What?! Klahadore headed for the coast?" Pepper asked, a little surprised, and Onion nodded, trying to get across that he was completely serious this time, he wasn't just panicking.

"He looked really scary." Onion shuddered as he remembered the menacing and almost murderous Klahadore had worn.

"Is Lady Kaya alright?" The blonde boy shrugged, having not seen the young woman, eyes too focused on Klahadore.

"Yosh! The Usopp Pirate Gang are off! You with me?" Pepper asked as he held out his fist.

"I-I'm with you" Onion stuttered, a little nervous, as he held out his fist as well.

"Snore." Both Pepper and Onion turned to look at the lone oak tree that stood on the cliff. The third member of their party, Carrot, was currently sitting under the tree and was sound asleep. Pepper clenched his fists and glared down at the purple haired boy before kicking at his foot.

"HEY! Don't sleep!" After a few seconds Carrot opened his eyes blearily, and rubbed at one eye while trying to stifle a yawn.

"But it's still sleeping time, guys."

"This is not the time to sleep! There might be something horrible happening! Klahadore is up to something and we need to find out what," Onion insisted, pulling at Carrot's arm in an effort to get his friend up. Once Carrot was off the ground they started to run towards Kaya's mansion, a little concerned that something might have happened to Lady Kaya.

"I still think that the pirates are going to attack," Onion huffed as they ran along the path on the outskirts of the village. "Although Captain said that he was lying, I don't really think he was.

"I think so too," Pepper nodded, a little ahead of Onion.

"Me too, Captain was acting really weird yesterday." Carrot said, bringing up the rear. Suddenly concerned that pirates might attack at any moment the boys increased their speed to get to the mansion faster and silently hoped that Kaya was alright.

They reached the mansion after another few minutes of running and stopped to stare through the front gate for a second before moving to Captain Usopp's secret door. They could see Kaya's window as they ran, the glass pane open and the curtains fluttering in the breeze.

"You don't think...?" Onion asked, trailing off as the three looked at each other. Without answering Onion pepper made his way to the hedge where Usopp had cut out a small section that he always used to sneak inside the mansion. They pulled at the square piece of hedge but even though all three of them pulled as hard as they could, the hedge wouldn't budge. The guards must've sealed it after the scene Usopp created yesterday in an effort to keep him from getting inside the mansion again.

"I remember that Captain always came through this way," Onion said confused, still pulling as hard as he could.

"No use, it's sealed off," Carrot sighed, stepping back sadly.

"Don't give up yet, let's go find another way in," Pepper insisted, also giving up on trying to remove the hedge. The boy's turned from the hedge and ran off to find a different entry.

* * *

Inside the mansion, in Kaya's room, the weak girl was sleeping but it didn't appear to be a very restful sleep. She tossed and turned, her eyelids fluttering as the dream played out.

_*Dream*_

_Usopp stood above her on the bed, a cutlass held in one hand, eyes shadowed and mouth turned down in a frown. "You! Dare to make fun of me?!" He growled. Usopp pointed the cutlass at Kaya's head, directly between her eyes, which were slowly filling with tears._

"_Just because pirate's blood flows within me... You look down at me!" Usopp continued his rant, as if he couldn't see the fear and sadness on Kaya's face._

"_Please stop, Usopp!" She begged, unable to believe that this was really the same boy that had always told her such wonderful stories. Usopp didn't answer her, just pulled back the cutlass and gripped it in both hands, pointed down at her chest. The last thing Kaya saw was Usopp stabbing the weapon down and into her chest before everything went black._

_*End Dream* _

Kaya let out a scream as she sat up in bed, the nightmare having woken her up. It was the worst nightmare she had ever had, even worse than the dreams she had of her parents dying. She took a few deep breaths, fighting the urge to cry, before running one hand through her sweat soaked hair. She glanced around, reassuring herself that she was in her room and safe, before she started to cough softly.

Shaking the horrible dream from her mind, Kaya turned and got out of the bed, sliding her feet into the slippers that waited at the edge of her bed. She took one last glance around the room, gaze lingering on the open window and the tree just outside, before leaving the bedroom and walking in the direction of the servant room. Once she got there she knocked lightly on the wooden door, still coughing slightly.

"Klahadore? Klahadore, are you there?" Upon receiving no answer, She gently opened the door, calling out her butler's name one last time before her eyes found Merry face-down on the ground, blood pooled around his body.

"Merry!" She screamed, quickly making her way to her dear friend's side before dropping to her knees.

"Merry! Merry!" She started to shake the caretaker as she continued to ask questions, heart pounding and silently praying that he was still alive. "What's wrong? What happened? Who did this to you?"

After what felt like an eternity, Merry turned his head and opened his eyes so he could stare up at Kaya, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that she appeared to be unharmed.

"Lady Kaya, thank goodness you're alright," He breathed, voice hoarse and barely audible. He tried to push himself to his knees, trying to get up, only to lose strength in his arms and crumple back to the ground, this time on his back. Kaya crawled forward until she was next to Merry again before placing her hand lightly over one of his, squeezing it softly as she asked.

"Who did this to you, Merry?" She whispered to him, surprised when he started to cry.

"It was… Klahadore. He... did this to me"

Kaya let out a gasp, one hand coming up to cover her mouth, eyes wide with shock as Merry continued.

"He…he was a Pirate all along, Lady Kaya!"

"W-what are you talking about, Merry?" She couldn't believe it even though she knew Merry would never lie to her. There's no way Klahadore would do this to Merry, they were good friends with each other, and she couldn't believe that he would ever hurt his friend.

"He was never our friend, Lady Kaya. He was interested in the family fortune. That's why he got close to you." His words were filled with sadness and a deep remorse that he had been so wrong about someone he considered a friend. Kaya closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, hand still covering her mouth. She was trying to take in what Merry was saying but she still couldn't believe that this was happening.

"That's…that's just ridicu…"

"IT'S THE TRUTH!" Merry had never raised his voice to his young Lady before, but she had to know the truth…the real truth, even it meant he had to yell at her. Kaya flinched back, the tears in her eyes finally overflowing as she started to accept what her caretaker and dear friend said as truth.

"Then…What Usopp said yesterday was..." Her heart clenched as it all clicked into place in her mind and Merry nodded, his tears resuming.

"Yes, it would seem he was the only one who knows the truth about Klahadore's true intentions. He risked his life to save us... But none of us would believe a word he said..." Kaya thought back to Usopp's words and actions the day before.

_'Get out of here, Kaya! Or you'll be killed!'_

_'In any case, let's get out of here for now!'_

Her hand dropped from her mouth and both clenched into fists against her knees. How could she have done that? She had slapped him when he had been telling the truth this whole time. She had called him despicable.

Merry was also ashamed of his actions, He was ashamed of himself for hurting the boy, for even thinking that Usopp could ever hurt Lady Kaya, when he was in fact trying to do the opposite. He was trying to save her, save all of them.

"We only thought of protecting the bad guy... and made that brave young man... The man who wanted to protect his village, the man who risked his life to warn us; we chased him out of the village!" Merry fell silent as Kaya began to cry again, large sobs that shook her body.

Usopp was her only true friend in the village and she had destroyed that friendship all because of Klahadore's scheme. How could she live with herself after what she did to Usopp. She would never forgive herself for pushing away the hero who risked his life for their village and for her and instead had defended the person who truly deceived her and lied to her all this time. She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Merry start to cough. Her eyes flew open just in time to see the caretaker start to cough up bits of blood.

"ANYONE! IS ANYONE HERE?! ANYONE!" She screamed, trying to get her voice to carry through the mansion, attempting to call one of the other servants but there was no answer.

"It's useless Lady Kaya," Merry sighed, forcing himself to sit up as Lady Kaya helped him to rest with his back against the nearest wall.

"Everyone's gone on vacation since yesterday." Kaya began to tremble, hands coming up to cover her mouth as she heard more bad news.

"That can't be…then I…"

"Now's not the time to panic!" Merry said firmly, trying to get Lady Kaya to calm down, before continuing.

"Nothing's happened yet. 'huff' It's vital that you calm down and think of a solution for all this. 'pant'" Kaya nodded slowly, taking deep breaths and clutching her hands together, eyes still wide. After a few seconds she let out a sigh before nodding at Merry again, waiting for him to proceed.

"If Klahadore's motive is just to own everything in this house, then just give it to him! It's not worth your life to protect it," Merry's tone was serious and Kaya broke eye contact to stare at the ground, wiping away the last of her tears with the palm of her hand. Merry was right, she had to take care of this before Klahadore could hurt anyone.

"The problem at hand now is that you're the only one who can stop Klahadore. Can you do it? Even though this is not _your_ responsibility." Merry continued, watching Kaya carefully, making sure that she understood what he was saying. And Kaya did understand. If she could persuade Klahadore to do her bidding, to take her fortune, he could leave the village unharmed. But if she messed up there would be serious consequences. Then Kaya remembered Usopp smiling down at her and all the wonderful stories he always made up for her in an effort to put a smile on her face.

She wanted that moment back, the way it was before Klahadore ruined it. She wanted Usopp to come back and sit on the branch of the tree outside her window, a bright smile on his face, the same smile that lifted her spirits and made her forget all about her illness. Kaya knew the only to get him back was to give Klahadore what he wanted.

"I understand. I…will not run away from this. I understand the consequences and I will talk to Klahadore." Her voice was strong and her face had melted into a mask of determination, her fears disappearing at the thought of Usopp's smile. Merry watched Kaya stunned, his eyes growing wide. He had never seen his Lady act like this before. She was no longer the weak, sick child she had been after her parent's death; she had been reborn into a stronger person.

* * *

Outside of the mansion, the Usopp Pirate gang were currently trying to get through the main gate so they could get to Lady Kaya. Onion and Pepper had both tried to climb the gate but were having a difficult time of it because the bars were just too slippery to hold. Carrot had tried to squeeze his head between the iron bars of the gate, but was having even less success than the other boys, actually managing to get his head stuck between the bars.

"What do you think you're doing?" Pepper snapped, glaring at Onion. "Hold on to them tight!"

"These bars are just too slippery. I can't get a good grip." They continued to bicker until Carrot spoke up, trying to get his head out from between the bars.

"Someone's coming!" The boy's quickly hid, Carrot managing to get his head free after a few good yanks, and all sighed in relief when they realized that it was only Lady Kaya. She was Just then someone emerged from the mansion. The boys quickly hid and Carrot broke free from metal fence to hide but they all sighed in relief when they saw it was only Kaya. She was dressed in her usual pale blue sleep dress with a tan housecoat over top of it. The Usopp crew watched her worriedly as she made her way to the main gate, leaving her mansion for the first time in 3 years.

"What do you think it's going on? She looks really troubled about something," Pepper whispered.

"Lady Kaya is leaving her house by herself! She never leaves her house!" Carrot hissed, attempting to keep his voice down but failing slightly.

"Somethings up. Something really bad must've happened!" said Onion.

* * *

On the beach with the Straw-Hat Pirates, Usopp had pulled himself away from Nami, no longer scared after seeing Luffy's attack, and was cheering the raven-haired girl on, trying not to laugh at the shocked looks on the beat down Black Cat Pirates.

"HAHA! that was so cool, Luffy! You beat them with one attack, yes, yes, yes~" He pumped one fist in the air, the other braced against his knee. Even though he was feeling better, he was still too weak to stand up.

"Now that's what I call girl power!" Nami added, giving Luffy a thumbs up from her place next to Usopp on the grass. Luffy remained silent, still facing away from her crew, taking deep breaths in an attempt to catch her breath. Using a new attack always took a larger toll on her than her normal attacks because she hadn't had the chance to practice or refine it. Ace and Sabo had always warned her about using new attacks in a fight, but she hadn't had much of a choice this time. Zoro seemed to be the only one who noticed the heaving in her shoulders and the clenched fists at her sides and that worried him because he knew she wouldn't say anything about it. She was almost as stubborn about her injuries as he was. Luffy took one last deep breath and turned around to face her friends, grinning in triumph.

"What did you expect from your future Queen of the Pirates, I can handle any…" Before she could finish the sentence, a sudden wave of dizziness overwhelmed her and she stumbled forward, surprising everyone around her.

"Luffy!" Nami and Usopp screamed together, Nami stumbling to their feet and moving towards the she-pirate, Usopp still too weak to do much but reach out for her. Luffy's eyes rolled back into her head as she fell forward, about to collapse onto the hard ground. Before she could reach the ground, Zoro's arm was there, wrapping around her slim waist and pulling the exhausted girl against his body, her face nestled against his chest. After a second, the straw hat pirate shook her head, attempting to shake away the dizziness, and glanced up at Zoro, staring into steel colored eyes, mind still happily blank.

"Are you okay, Captain?" He asked, voice soft, words audible only to her. He held her delicately, shifting his hold so he could press his free hand lightly against her forehead. His movements were so slow and tender, as if he was afraid he would break her if he moved too quickly. "Lu...?" The she-pirate was surprised, this was the first time her first mate had ever spoken to her in such a way, as if she was fragile.

"I-I'm fine," she stuttered, glancing away from him and biting her lower lip. She had always been a terrible liar. "I'm just a bit woozy, that's all." Luffy had no idea why her heart was beating so fast or her stomach was making flip flops, even her cheeks were starting to feel warm; maybe she was getting sick. Zoro raised one of his eyebrows, confused at his Captain's sudden shyness but just shook his head, relieved that her voice sounded a little stronger. Seeing her collapse like that had startled him, he wouldn't go so far to say that he had been scared but he had appeared at her side before he even realized he was moving, so he was at least a little worried about her.

"Okay, just be careful next time. Though, I doubt you will be, you've never been the cautious type," Zoro grinned down at her and Luffy let out a soft giggle, but the swordsman wasn't finished yet.

"Oh, and Lu… you did well today, Captain." His grin melted into a soft smile and Luffy blinked in surprise, not expecting the praise or a true smile from her first mate. He has such an amazing smile, she thought, eventually returning the smile.

"Hey Luffy, are you okay?" Usopp asked, interrupting Luffy's thoughts. She turned her head to find the long nosed sniper, still kneeling on the grassy bank, watching her worriedly. Nami was a few feet in front of him, a hand on her chest, looking slightly relieved now that the smaller girl was moving and talking again. Zoro carefully helped the raven-haired girl get her feet underneath her again when he was sure she could stand straight without getting dizzy again. She nodded at Usopp, patting Zoro's chest lightly in a silent thanks and keeping the hand pressed against his chest for balance.

"Don't worry, I'm okay," she said, grinning at her friends. "It'll take a lot more than that to stop me!" Usopp let out a sigh of relief as the straw hat pirate began to giggle. Down at the shore, Jango ground his teeth, gazing around at his fallen crew.

"That brat really screwed us over. Now the plan's all messed up! If Captain Kuro see this, he'll kill us all." The hypnotist ground his teeth together as he eyed the Straw-Hat girl. Not only her, the swordsman looked like he might be an issue as well, but the girl was a more immediate problem.

"That girl is a nuisance, if this continues she'll disrupt Captain Kuro's plan," he muttered to himself, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I need to figure out a way to stop her before things get out of hand." After another few seconds, Jango smirked, a plan coming to mind. He turned back to his ship and shouted.

"Come out, Nyaban Brothers!" Two shadowed figures jumped from the ship's deck and appeared, kneeling, in front of Jango, their movements so fast that they appeared to be nothing more than two dark blurs.

"You called, Captain Jango?" The first man asked, rubbing a hand over his face, as if he was cleaning himself like a cat would. He was very skinny man with green hair and cat ears on his head, a hunched back causing him to stoop over. He wore a large black shirt with a red bow-tie and a pair of short blue shorts that showed off his obviously hairy legs. Dark brown gloves covered his hands, sharp claws at the end that looked like they could be used as weapons.

"You called?" asked the other. The second man appeared to be almost the complete opposite of the first. He was a very overweight man, large black spots covering various parts of his body and a large bell around his neck. He wore a red and black striped pair of pants and a fur cape with the same design. Like his partner, he too had a pair of cat ears and gloves with claws at the end, but unlike his partner, he also had two fangs sticking out from his upper lip.

"Sham, Buchi, we need to get past this slope, but... As you can see, someone's in our way." Jango gestured up to where the Straw Hat crew stood, Luffy in the front with Zoro only a few steps behind her, one sword out and resting against his shoulder. "So here's the plan," he continued, gesturing the two towards him so he could explain his idea. The Straw-Hat pirates watched the three discuss their new plan, not overly worried. Now that Luffy had taken down so many of them, they could face anything those two tried to pull. Ignoring the enemy's planning, Luffy made her way to a tree right off of the path near Nami and Usopp. With a sigh she removed her straw hat and hung it carefully on one of the low branches. After her fight with Buggy, remembering what he had done to her treasure, she didn't want her hat to get messed up again. Luffy scratched her head in annoyance as she made her way back over to Zoro, muttering under her breath about getting some sort of chord to tie the hat to her head. She just didn't feel right when she wasn't wearing it.

After Jango finished explaining the plan, they broke their huddle and the hypnotist commanded the skinny one, Sham, to attack Zoro. Sham took one glance at Zoro, who had stepped in front of Luffy as soon as Jango said his name, and froze at the demonic look on the swordsman's face.

"E-eh! You want me to fight him?! But he looks too strong! Right Buchi?" Sham panicked, eying his Captain as if he was crazy.

"Ye... Yeah! Anyway, we're just supposed to watch the ship." Buchi added, taking a few steps back and pointing towards their ship.

"I said GET GOIN'!" Jango snapped, glaring back at the two.

"Fi... fine... I'm going."

"He looks completely different." Nami scoffed, having moved back to sit next to Usopp. "What're they up to?" There had to be some sort of plan behind this, something about the whole thing was bothering the orange-haired navigator. Then Sham started to run up the slope towards Zoro, claws held above his head, moving in a way that showed that he was inexperienced in battle.

"Hey you! Be prepared, cause I'm gonna tear you apart with these very claws!" Even his threat was pathetic, the words cracking, his voice sounding like he was close to crying. Luffy blinked, leaning around Zoro so she could see Sham, mouth turned down in a frown.

"Man, this guy is a big coward." She scoffed, moving to lace her fingers behind her head, relaxing slightly. Zoro could take care of this guy.

"What am I supposed to do with this guy?" the swordsman asked, glancing back at her, not sure what the precedent was with a situation like this. "You!" He yelled, turning back to Sham. "If you don't stop, I'll kill you!" Zoro didn't want to kill this guy, it wouldn't be a fight to him, just a massacre. And Zoro was nothing if not honorable, he didn't fight to kill people.

As the green-haired cat-man neared Zoro, his coward personality began to melt away and his arms lowered, face melting into a devious smirk as he adopted a better fighting stance.

"That is, if you can kill me."

"What?!" Zoro's eyes widened in shock as Sham moved, now a blur, and brought his sword up to block the incoming attack. Sham's claws clashed against the sword and Zoro was forced to brace it with his other hand against the flat of the blade. _'This bastard...'_ He gritted his teeth, angry at himself that he had fallen for the simple trick. Sham gazed up at Zoro, a mocking smirk on his face.

"You took me too lightly." Pushing Zoro back slightly, Sham jumped back, settling into a relaxed but ready stance.

"You blocked it well." Sham complimented, still smirking. "I thought my acting had been flawless. I may be tiny, but you'd better not take Sham of the Nyaban Brothers lightly." He lifted one glove covered hand and licked lightly at it, as if cleaning himself like a cat. Zoro narrowed his eyes at Sham, annoyed, but his eyes widened when he noticed the items on Sham's back. Strapped to the cat-man's back were two of Zoro's swords; but that meant... he quickly looked down at his haramaki to see that his Wado Ichimonji and the other black sword he carried were missing.

"Lose something? I wouldn't know anything about it," Sham taunted.

"There it is..." Jango muttered, arms crossed over his chest as he watched from the beach. "The cat snatch."

"Return those katanas to me!" Zoro snarled, his grip tightening on the sword still clutched in his left hand.

"Return it? Isn't your katana in your hand? One sword is enough for you, besides... these will only get in the way." Sham pulled the swords from his back and examined them for a second before tossing them behind him, as if they were nothing but trash. Zoro's anger doubled, his eyes darkening with rage and teeth gnashing together.

"Now... I feel much lighter." Sham calmly licked one of his claws, watching Zoro and waiting for his move. Luffy watched the fight from the top of the slope, eyes narrowing at the callous way Sham handled the swords. She knew how much they meant to Zoro, she could never find the swordsman without them strapped to his waist, or at least within arms distance of himself. Luffy would even go as far as to say that he treasured those swords as much as she treasured her straw hat. To have someone treat such important items the way Sham had... it was unforgivable.

"How dare you throw my precious katanas!" With an angry growl, Zoro charged Sham, moving quicker than the cat-man expected from him. Gripping his one remaining sword in both hands, Zoro slashed Sham's torso, cutting him nearly in half before continuing down the slope to his swords. "Bastard!"

Just before he could reach them something heavy landed on his back, throwing him off balance and knocking him forward. The swordsman glanced back to see Sham sitting calmly on him, looking completely unharmed.

_'How...? I saw the attack hit him.'_

"What were you trying to cut? I'm a cat after all." Sham laughed, grabbing each of Zoro's arms and pulling them back, forcing the swordsman face first into the ground. He slid a small ways before finally stopping, Sham settling comfortably into a cross legged position on his back, Zoro's arms still pinned behind him.

"Zoro! Hang on, I'm coming!" Luffy yelled, charging towards the fight. She had made Zoro a promise to never help in a battle against another swordsman but this was different. Sham wasn't a swordsman and the raven-haired girl was itching to pay him back for disrespecting Zoro's swords. Sham just smirked.

_'She fell for it.'_ The green haired cat-man turned to look at his brother, who still stood near Jango at the shore and said.

"Come Buchi, your turn!"

"Gotcha, Sham!" The fat pirate ran forward a few steps before jumping high in the air, a feat that seemed impossible for someone his size. "Watch this!" He shot down and landed directly in front of Luffy, forcing the girl to skid to a halt and throw herself sideways in an attempt to dodge the cat-man's sharp claws.

Without giving her even a second to regain her balance, Buchi continued to swing his claws around, attempting to shred the puny girl to ribbons. He still couldn't believe that this tiny little slip of a girl had managed to take down their entire crew. But as time wore on and Luffy continued to dodge his attacks, moving from foot to foot and even doing partial handstands and somersaults to avoid him, Buchi began to concede that she was a little stronger than she appeared. Luffy's stomach clenched as she dodged another swing and she cursed as her vision began to blur. She was so hungry, having not eaten breakfast this morning, and using that new attack... she was a little tired. She barely missed a downward swipe of Buchi's claws, feeling lightheaded and a little dizzy, her body starting to sway a bit. Buchi smirked as he saw his advantage, he had been getting annoyed with the raven-haired girl's constant dodges but it looked like she had finally run out of energy.

With a swiftness that contradicted his large frame, Buchi managed to slip behind Luffy and grab her, one arm wrapping around her middle and pinning her arms to her sides, the other forcefully holding her head in place.

"Hey, let me go, you fat ass!" Luffy hissed, struggling against his hold. She couldn't muster up enough strength to free herself from the hold and began to grind her teeth together, still attempting to kick Buchi in an effort to get free. _'Damn-it, Damn-it, Damn-it'_ she cursed silently. _'I'm stronger than this! Stupid stomach and stupid hypnosis. I'm going to kick these guy's asses!'_

"Now, Captain Jango!" Buchi yelled to his Captain and Luffy began to struggle harder as the hypnotist pulled out his ring. Buchi yanked her hair, forcing her head back, and then turned her to look directly at Jango.

"Once I say 'one, two, Jango' you will fall asleep," Jango explained, starting to swing the ring back and forth. "One... two... JANGO!"

As if a switch had been thrown, Luffy's eyes fluttered shut and her body went limp in Buchi's hold, the girl completely asleep. Jango smirked as he put the ring back in his jacket. Their plan had gone off without a hitch, just like he had expected. Now that the straw-hat girl was out of the way and the swordsman was pinned by Sham, they would be able to make it up the slope to the village.

"LUFFY!" Zoro, Usopp, and Nami cried all at once, horrified at the sight of Luffy unconscious in the enemy's hold. Usopp had started to shake again, wondering what they were going to do now and Nami had covered her mouth, eyes wide with shock. After a few seconds, she relaxed as her eyes moved to lock onto where Zoro was still pinned underneath Sham. Nami couldn't see his face but that aura he was letting off made her really glad that she was on his side.

Buchi shifted his hold on Luffy now that she was asleep, moving to cradle her back with one arm, keeping her mostly upright, so he could caress her face with his other gloved hand.

"HAHAHA! not so tough now, little girl." The large cat man started to chuckle as he stared at the girl in his arms, his brother quickly joining in. Just as their Captain had said, the girl had rushed to the aid of the swordsman, falling right into their little trap. Beneath Sham, Zoro's fist was clenched against the ground, his other hand still gripping his sword. His eyes were shadowed under his bandana as he craned his neck to see his sleeping captain and his whole body was shaking with rage.

Buchi's laughter eventually died down as he eyed the raven-haired girl with dark, beady eyes.

"Hey Sham..."

"Yes, Buchi?"

"You know, this girl looks kinda cute when she's asleep… and completely helpless."

"Is that so…what, do you…fancy her?" Sham asked as Buchi's grin turned into a dark smirk as the cat-man continued to stroke her cheek, his fingers trailing down and sliding over her neck, pausing to nick her slightly with a claw, ignoring the small trail of blood it caused.

"Her skin is so fragile and pale, and she smells nice too." Buchi muttered distractedly, taking a deep whiff of her hair much to Nami's disgust. The orange haired girl stuck out her tongue as she moved to grip her Bo staff. Out of the corner of her eye she continued to watch Zoro; if that idiot didn't get up in the next five seconds then she would get Luffy away from that guy. Even though the girl was a pirate and annoying and naïve, Nami had started to see the girl as a kind of younger sister, or at least, a friend. Next to her, Usopp just shuddered in revulsion as the perverted man continued to paw at Luffy like he owned her, hair sticking up on his arms as he felt the dark aura that Nami had noticed earlier. Zoro was more than furious, he was absolutely livid. His heart pounded against his chest and he could hear his blood rushing in his ears when Buchi's words finally caused him to snap.

"And I wonder…what she tastes like?" His eyes were filled with lust as he stared down at Luffy and he hefted the girl up, wanting to find out the answer to his question but before he could, Zoro let out a loud snarl, summoning all his strength and pushing Sham off him. As the skinnier cat man moved he made a halfhearted swipe at him but had no real interest in tangling with him right then. His eyes zeroed in on Luffy, the snarl still present on his face, before he charged Buchi, wanting nothing more than to slice him in half and watch as he died. The overweight pirate saw him coming, a little surprised at the ferocity of his attack, and quickly jumped to the side to avoid his swing, a little annoyed that he had been forced to let go of the raven haired girl in the process. Instead of chasing after Buchi, Zoro moved to Luffy and pulled the sleeping girl into his arms, stopping her descent. He dropped to one knee, wanting to look his captain over, clutching her carefully to his chest as one hand came up to gently push her hair away from her face.

As he quickly scanned her, searching for injuries, his eyes zeroed in on the trail of blood at her neck. His gaze hardened and he glared up at the Nyaban Brothers, clutching Luffy closer to his chest with one arm and holding his sword out in front of her protectively with the other. Unlike last time, Sham and Buchi didn't seem to be affected by his glare. They just glanced at each other blankly before snickering at him.

"Hey Buchi, I think you made our little swordsman jealous," Sham whispered conspiratorially, voice loud enough for Zoro and the others to hear.

"Aw, how touching. He's in love with his Captain."

Both Buchi and Sham laughed loudly at the statement and Zoro froze. He wasn't... she was just...

After almost a minute of silence the swordsman twitched, the knuckles of the hand clutching his sword turning white and his hold on Luffy tightening. Without taking his eyes off of the two pirates he called out to Usopp.

"Usopp! Take Luffy away from here. I have to exterminate some pests," he snapped, venom in his tone. Usopp quickly nodded and then, realizing Zoro couldn't see him, voiced his agreement. He was starting to feel a lot steadier, not as dizzy, and he pushed himself to his feet before running forward to where Zoro knelt. Zoro carefully lifted Luffy up and placed her in Usopp's arms without looking away from his targets as Usopp quickly darted back up to where Nami stood, waiting for him.

Zoro stood up and brought his only sword close to his face, clutching it with both hands and crouching into his fighting stance as the Nyaban Brother prepared to attack as well.

"One sword style is not my forte but it will have to do," He muttered darkly and the Nyaban Brothers just smirked.

"Let's go Buchi!"

"Gotcha, Sham!"

"Cat Claws Attack!" Sham and Buchi charged Zoro, using their signature attack, and teaming up as they began to rapidly slash at Zoro. Their swings forced him back, keeping him on the defensive and giving him no chance to counterattack.

"This is bad, Zoro's under heavy pressure," Nami said, looking over at Luffy, who lay sound asleep next to her. She had tried to wake the other girl up as soon as Usopp brought her back, but it was pointless. Jango's hypnosis spell was too strong and neither of them knew how long she would be unconscious. Nami almost felt bad for Zoro, getting hit with that kind of revelation in the middle of a fight... She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She needed to focus on the problem at hand.

As she stared at Luffy trying to think of something to do, she noticed Usopp with his slingshot ready and aimed at one of the Nyaban Brothers.

"What're you trying to do?" She asked, whispering so that the enemy wouldn't hear her.

"If they keep attacking him like that, there's no way he can win. I'm covering him!" Usopp spoke, closing one eye and lining up his target before firing.

"Shooting Star!"

Zoro glanced back at Usopp's shout just in time to see that the sniper had shot his pinball at Buchi. He quickly blocked Buchi's attack and stepped in front of the large cat-man, taking Usopp's hit instead. Zoro gritted his teeth as the shot knocked the wind out of him, causing him to drop his guard.

"An opening!" Sham crowed as both pirates quickly slashed at Zoro's chest creating an 'X' shaped wound that gushed blood as the swordsman was knocked back and forced to roll backwards so he could land back on his feet.

"Why are you hitting out own people! You're supposed to be a sniper!" Nami yelled, smacking Usopp upside the head.

"I didn't! It…he took the hit on purpose," Usopp explained, still not quite believing what he had seen.

"Eh? What would he do that for?" Nami was stunned, her eyes wide, as she turned to stare back at Zoro who was clutching at his wound. He struggled to take a few deep breaths, cursing their stupidity under his breath before turning to yell at them.

"You moron! Usopp! Do you wanna die?" Zoro hissed, moving his hands back to his sword as the Nyaban Brothers charged him and continued their attack. "I asked you to take Luffy. Watch after her, not me!" Usopp stared at the swordsman with wide eyes, realization beginning to dawn on him as Nami spoke quietly next to him.

"Maybe…we're the ones who were saved. If you had hit one of them with your pinball, those two would've probably directed their attacks towards us instead." Zoro had taken the hit so the Nyaban Brothers would keep their focus on him and not on the two people who were already injured. Nami turned to glance at the sleeping Luffy behind her. She knew Zoro's main reason was making sure Luffy was safe but after spending a week with them, she knew Zoro would protect anyone who Luffy had deemed a friend, and she knew the swordsman even considered her a friend as well.

"That guy…this is no time to be worried about us!" mumbled Usopp, continuing to watch Zoro as the swordsman desperately tried to find an opening to attack, but still forced to stay on the defensive.

_'Damn. If I had just one more katana. I could beat these bastards easily.'_ he cursed as he continued to block. Nami finally decided that she had watched the fight for long enough, she stood up next to Usopp, a determined look on her face, and said.

"I'm going to get Zoro's swords. If Zoro get his swords back, then he can defeat them!"

Usopp opened his mouth to protest, pointing at himself. "Then I should…" before he could finish that sentence, Nami cut him off with a shake of her head, eyes darting to Luffy for a second, before she grinned down him.

"No. It's best if you stay here and keep an eye on Luffy, I think Zoro would kill us himself if we left her unguarded. Besides, you can't even stand up straight." Clutching her Bo staff, Nami jumped down from her place on the ridge, halfway up the slope, landing lightly on the ground before taking off. As a thief Nami was light on her feet and she knew she could slip past the fight currently going on and get the swords so she ignored Usopp's warnings as she ran. Nami quickly dodged past Zoro and the Nyaban Brothers, eyes focused completely on the swords, having completely forgotten about Jango, who still stood at the base of the slope, only a few feet from her target.

As she reached down to grab the first sword and closed her fingers around it, a shadow overtook her and a foot entered her field of vision and stomped down on the sword, preventing her from picking it up. Nami's eyes widened but she was unable to react fast enough as Jango pulled his hypnosis ring from his jacket and sliced into her shoulder, causing her to fall forward onto the ground in a heap.

"NAMI!" Usopp yelled worriedly.

"What do you want with those swords?" Jango asked calmly, staring down at the orange haired girl. After a second he shook his head, smirking softly. "Foolish..." Turning his attention from the injured girl he raised his head to continue to watch the fight and froze. At the top of the slope, staring down at the destruction that littered the coast, was Klahadore. He clutched his weapons bag in one hand, the other clenched tightly at his side. Jango screeched as he recognized his captain, starting to panic.

Buchi and Sham stopped their attack and turned to watch the butler, eyes wide and bodies shaking slightly at the sight of their Captain Kuro. Zoro also followed their gaze and his eyes narrowed, he wasn't all that happy to see him again and Usopp was no better off.

"Th-there's a good reason for this...," Jango stuttered, fighting to get his words out, afraid for his life as he tried to explain to his Captain what had happened. Captain Kuro just watched them silently for a minute, pushing his glasses up his face using the palm of his hand.

"The sky's been bright for a long while. Why didn't you act according to plan?" he asked, his words clear and articulated but spoken softly, showing just how angry he really was. Captain Kuro was quiet, controlled, and deadly. His tone now showed just how close he was to snapping. The rest of the crew, who had woken up since Luffy's earlier attack and had been just watching the fight, froze in shock at the sight of their former captain.

"Ca... Captain Kuro." They stuttered out, fighting the urge to scramble back and hide on the ship.

"We're gonna be killed!"

Zoro turned away from the Nyaban Brothers to face Kuro, an annoyed look on his face. "What?" He couldn't understand why the pirates were freaking out over the sight of their own captain.

"This is bad," Usopp muttered, crouching in front of Luffy, trying to keep her out of sight. With Luffy out of commission and Zoro only having one sword, they were having a hard time just taking on the Nyaban Brothers, taking on Captain Kuro would be impossible. Kuro eyed the situation in front of him, eyes sliding over the orange-haired girl, the swordsman, and finally settling on Usopp, who was kneeling in front of the bratty straw-hat girl from earlier. He was furious to see the nosy brats he had run into at the mansion had come to try and ruin everything he had worked three fucking years for and his sorry excuse for a crew couldn't even beat them. He pushed his glasses up once more, taking a deep breath before veins appeared on his forehead and he shouted down at Jango.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

* * *

And there we go. Klahadore has shown up and it's time for Zoro to beat up the Nyaban bro and Luffyko to wake up.

I apologize if you think Luffyko was a little OOC this chapter. I wanted to adapt this from the idea Pen-Woman had and use Luffyko getting knocked out as a way for Zoro to get hit over the head with the proverbial brick. I feel like Luffyko could really be like that though. In Strong World he lost to Shinji and claimed afterwards it was cause he was hungry and various times throughout the series he has collapsed after trying new and crazy attacks. Since this is still East Blue I feel like its ok for her to get tired after these attacks, especially if she didn't have breakfast beforehand. Let me know what you think.

And Zoro is just now getting the picture of what's going on. He's not really going to have the time to think about it until after they get the Going Merry and head off but I'll definitely add his whole inner conversation with himself as he sorts through it. Now I just need to get Luffyko. *juggles brick in hand and grins menacingly at Luffyko* Ooh, I can't wait to write that.

To Shirani-Chan: I replied to your review but I just want to say again how happy it made me. I am totally looking forward to getting to the arc with Ace in it but before that we get to meet Sanji!

Thank you all so much for reading and please read the fanfictions by the authors I listed above as they are a huge inspiration.

Til next chapter!


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